WASHINGTON — The U.S. military is preparing to award several high-stakes contracts for commercial satellite communications services this fall, signaling a growing reliance on private-sector capabilities for battlefield connectivity and global coverage. Among the key deals are a $500 million contract to support Marine Corps communications and a new procurement initiative for maneuverable geostationary small satellites.
The Space Force’s Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO) last week issued a final solicitation for bids for the Marine Enterprise Commercial Satellite Services (MECS2) contract, a seven-year deal to provide global satellite coverage for the U.S. Marine Corps. Proposals are due by April 30, with an award expected in September. The contract, currently held by Viasat, is being re-competed as the Marines seek to integrate emerging multi-orbit and multi-band services that leverage advancements in satellite technology.
Under MECS2, the Marine Corps aims to procure transponded bandwidth capacity and end-to-end managed services across multiple satellite frequency bands, as well as cellular connectivity, to bolster its global communications capabilities. This contract is another example of the increasing shift toward hybrid networks that combine services from satellites in different orbits.
‘Maneuverable GEO’
Another closely watched procurement is the maneuverable geostationary Earth orbit (M-GEO) initiative, estimated at $900 million. The Space Force’s CSCO office is weighing buying a mix of commercial satellite services and dedicated small geostationary satellites. These smaller, more agile satellites promise greater maneuverability and targeted coverage than traditional large GEO satellites.
“Combined with the need to supplement aging military satellite resources, the ability to provide these types of smaller, quicker satellite builds with maneuvering capabilities that are capable of providing access to, in particular, scarce military frequency bands is paramount to successfully supporting DoD operations and communication needs,” a Space Force request for information on M-GEO stated.
The M-GEO contract is expected to be structured as an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) agreement, allowing multiple vendors to compete for specific task orders. According to Col. Richard Kniseley, head of the Space Force’s Commercial Space Office, vendor selections are scheduled for the third quarter of 2025.
More vendors for PLEO
In parallel, the military’s expanding Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) Satellite-Based Services program, initially launched in 2023 with a $900 million ceiling, has seen its funding expanded to $13 billion due to the soaring demand for high-speed satellite internet. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) currently manages the PLEO contract but is transitioning oversight to CSCO this summer.
The PLEO is also an IDIQ contract, with currently about 20 vendors that compete for task orders. Kniseley indicated that the Space Force plans to open a new round of solicitations to onboard additional providers and allow existing vendors to add new products or services.
“We will actually be doing a call to onboard new providers, as well as give existing providers opportunities to revise their offerings,” Kniseley said. “A lot of movement there. And then this year, I’m very confident that we will also award maneuverable GEO as well.”
