Defense Speak Interpreted: Understanding What the Department of Defense Is, and Isn’t
American Made Advocacy: Rebuilding America’s Military Stockpiles Begins With Microelectronics
The Right Approach: The End of an Era—DoD Proposes MIL-PRF-31032 Cancellation
Inmarsat Government Selects SAILOR XTR Terminals for New $578M U.S. Navy Contract
February 10, 2023 | InmarsatEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Cobham Satcom, the leading provider of radio and satellite communication (satcom) solutions to the global maritime and land mobile sectors has been chosen by Inmarsat Government to supply new generation SAILOR XTR user terminals for the provision of fast, reliable and secure worldwide end-to-end commercial satcom for the U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) Next Generation Wideband service.
Inmarsat Government is trusted with upgrading the primary MSC afloat network from Ku-band VSAT to the Global Xpress (GX) Ka-band under a 10 year, $578M Follow-On contract with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) awarded in August 2022. Cobham Satcom was selected as the user terminal partner. The roll-out, which includes replacing all existing Ku-band user terminals on MSC vessels with customized rapid deployment 1 meter SAILOR 1000 XTR and 0.6 meter SAILOR 600 XTR Ka-band VSAT terminals, starts immediately.
Designed specifically to leverage the worldwide coverage and capabilities of GX, Cobham Satcom’s technology leading user terminals are fully compatible with GX-R2 High Power requirements as well as GX upcoming satellites (GX6AB, GX10AB and GX7,8 & 9), helping Inmarsat Government to provision a high performance, dependable and future-proof solution. SAILOR XTR user terminals operate across multiple orbits. In addition to GEO, the user terminal supports operation with Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) satellites (GX10AB), ensuring access to GX over the Arctic region.
Inmarsat Government’s selection of Cobham Satcom’s innovative user terminal technology platform is in line with the MSC’s demand for highly reliable and always available satcom in rough sea conditions. While SAILOR 1000 and 600 XTR are both designed and manufactured with premium quality and robustness that can be depended upon, Cobham Satcom’s proven global support network was also an important selection criterion as it will optimize user terminal installation during roll-out and resolve support issues quickly wherever vessels are in service.
“Cobham Satcom is proud to build on our long-lasting commercial relationship and partner with Inmarsat Government on providing mission-critical global satellite communication solutions with exceptionally reliable, high-performance and globally supported user terminal technology as a foundation,” said Martin Buhl, Director Strategic Partners, Cobham Satcom. “GX is a powerful solution for fast, secure and uninterrupted connectivity especially when our field-proven robust and feature-rich SAILOR XTR user terminals are providing the on-board link to the network.”
“The provision of global, mobile connectivity requires an advanced network and well-engineered user terminals.,” said Steve Gizinski, President, Inmarsat Government. “We are confident in the proven capabilities of the Global Xpress network coupled with the SAILOR XTR user terminals to deliver the high quality service that the MSC missions demand and deserve on a global basis.”
Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
RTX's Collins Aerospace Accelerates Production with $26.5M Investment in Largo, Florida
05/14/2026 | RTXCollins Aerospace, an RTX business, is investing $26.5 million to expand its Largo, Florida facility to accelerate the production of its commercial aviation radars and multi-domain security solutions for defense customers.
Defense Speak Interpreted: Understanding What the Department of Defense Is, and Isn’t
05/12/2026 | Dennis Fritz -- Column: Defense Speak InterpretedI frequently hear the expression, “Why can’t the Department of Defense … .” Most recently, I heard it in reference to the Artemis splash-down after the launch around the moon. I realized there is some misunderstanding about which military or space activities are controlled by the Department of Defense (DoD) and which are not. Defense is a huge organization with many activities, but there are several differences with non-Defense organizations that are worth pointing out.
US Air Force Selects L3Harris for Advanced Battle Management Digital Network
05/11/2026 | L3Harris TechnologiesL3Harris Technologies has been selected to develop key features of the secure and resilient digital infrastructure that will serve as the backbone of the U.S. Air Force’s command and control network.
Team Elaris Wins £6 Million Contract to Prove Satellite Navigation Alternatives
05/11/2026 | QinetiQQinetiQ-led Team Elaris has been awarded a £6 million contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to develop a deployable solution concept for enhanced Long-Range Navigation (eLoran).
The Right Approach: The End of an Era—DoD Proposes MIL-PRF-31032 Cancellation
04/21/2026 | Steve Williams -- Column: The Right ApproachThe Defense Logistics Agency has initiated formal proceedings to cancel the military's primary performance specification for printed circuit boards, a move that could reshape how the U.S. defense industrial base qualifies and sources one of its most critical electronic components. On March 4, 2026, DLA Weapons Support issued a memorandum to military and industry coordination activities announcing that MIL-PRF-31032, along with its six associated specification sheets, has been proposed for cancellation. A 30-day comment period was allotted, with concurrence or comments due by April 3, 2026.