Should the FCC approve Ligado's application, it could "harm military capabilities, particularly for the U.S. Space Force, and have major impact on the national economy," congressional leaders wrote Wednesday.
The U.S. Space Force has awarded L3Harris Technologies a contract worth as much as $1.2 billion for the upkeep and modernization of the military’s ground-based sensors that track objects and activities in space.
The Space Force awarded L3 Technologies and Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Systems contracts worth as much as $1 billion for the development and production of new modems that would help with protected satellite communications.
The Space Force said the contingency program it has been relying on until a new ground system for the GPS III satellites is ready has been approved for everyday use.
An Atlas 5 rocket successfully lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida March 26 carrying a satellite that is expected to provide secure, jam-resistant communications for the military for the next 15 years.
The Department of Defense has been working to bolster its networks as the number of employees teleworking surges during the new coronavirus pandemic, senior leaders say.
The second GPS III satellite, a new, more powerful navigation satellite, is officially healthy and available for use by the military, the Space Force says.
The Pentagon is asking industry to help build ground stations it needs for multidomain operations and for sending targeting data to military networks used to fire weapons.
The Navy plans to test next year whether it can push new software — not just patches but new algorithms and battle-management aids — to its fleet without the assistance of in-person installation teams.