Cobham Awarded $65M Contract For Boeing Wideband Global SATCOM Satellite Components

Cobham has been awarded a $65M contract to supply electronic systems to Boeing’s Wideband Global SATCOM satellite program. The contract funds production on three satellite flight sets, with additional options for three more sets.

Cobham Defense Electronics in Lowell, Massachusetts will supply 1000 modules for the phased array antennas on each satellite. The modules are made up of a complex power amplifier, beamformer and receive amplifier modules.  The modules allow the satellite to transmit and receive communications.

“Cobham is pleased to support this critical Department of Defense  program  to enhance military satellite communications capability by providing the portfolio of RF modules that support additional bandwidth required by the military,” said Jill Kale, vice president of Cobham Defense Electronics. “This award reinforces our leadership role in the supply of high reliability cost effective Space qualified hardware.”

According to Boeing, the mission of the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) is to provide broadband communications connectivity for U.S. and allied warfighters around the world. WGS is the highest-capacity military communications system in the U.S. Department of Defense arsenal, providing a quantum leap in communications capability for the U.S. military.

Long lead time work on the contract started in 2010, and production began in early 2012. Work is expected to be finished in 2013 and takes place at the Lowell, Massachusetts facility, northwest of Boston.

About Cobham
Cobham specialises in meeting the demand for data, connectivity and bandwidth in defence, security and commercial environments. Offering a technically diverse and innovative range of technologies and services, the Group protects lives and livelihoods, responding to customer needs with agility that differentiates it. The most important thing we build is trust. Employing more than 10,000 people on five continents, the Group has customers and partners in over 100 countries.

About Cobham Defense Electronics
Cobham Defense Electronics designs and manufactures active microwave components, assemblies and subsystems for the aerospace and defence industries, and is the leading supplier of many microwave products.  Defense Electronics specializes in RF and microwave front ends for radar, phased arrays, communication and electronic warfare systems, providing components, integrated assemblies and subsystems for military aircraft, ground vehicles, missiles, space launch vehicles and satellites. Cobham Defense Electronics components and subsystems are at the heart of many of the world’s prominent military platforms, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter and a host of strategic and tactical munitions.