Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Space Force for the rapid prototyping phase of the Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) program, the company reported on Thursday.
“Northrop Grumman looks forward to building on more than 40 years of successfully delivering protected satellite communications solutions to our customers,” said Cyrus Dhalla, vice president, communications systems, Northrop Grumman.
Under the contract, Northrop Grumman will develop a modernized strategic communications space segment with enhanced resilience and cybersecurity capabilities. During the rapid prototyping phase, the company will deliver the preliminary design for ESS’ space segment and a ground-based demonstration.
The ESS program will work to replace the Space Force’s existing Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) system, replacing AEHF’s mid-latitude system capability and extending its survivable communications capability to the North Polar Region. The program will provide secure satellite communications to strategic users.
As a prime contractor on the ESS program, Northrop Grumman will leverage its experience in protected MILSATCOM payloads for programs including Milstar, AEHF, Enhanced Polar System (EPS) and Enhanced Polar System Recapitalization (EPS-R).
“ESS is critical to extending our nation’s secure satellite communications infrastructure, as it will provide strategic users with assured, uninterruptible connectivity without fear of discovery anywhere on the globe,” Dhalla added.
About Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is an American global aerospace and defense technology company. With over 85,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military technology providers.
