Main facts (as per August 4, 2025 press release and news coverage):
SES Space & Defense, a subsidiary of SES, has secured a five-year Sustainment Tactical Network (STN) contract.
Contract value: USD 89.6 million.
Purpose: Provide commercial satellite communications (COMSATCOM) services.
Coverage includes global commercial Ku-band GEO bandwidth and teleport services, supporting the U.S. Army’s long-haul network transport and base-support communications for Combat Service Support, Department of Defense (DoD) programs, and additional U.S. government agencies
David Broadbent, President & CEO of SES Space & Defense, framed the award as a reaffirmation of their commitment to delivering “interoperable and secure satellite services” and providing the Army with a “decisive information advantage.”
Reuters also reported the contract and its context within SES’s broader defense engagements.
Expert Commentary
Strategic Context & Analysis
Continuity & Trust: SES Space & Defense previously served as a provider under the earlier Wideband Enterprise Satellite Systems (WESS) COMSATCOM Network. This award reflects continuity and trust from the U.S. Army.
Operational Scope: The contract supports not only tactical and logistical communications but also integrates with broader DoD systems—suggesting interoperability across various military C2 and C4ISR platforms.
Capability Layering: This is a GEO-based sustainment contract, potentially complementing SES’s MEO-based O3b mPOWER services, which support low-latency, high-throughput communications.
Implications for Defense & Satellite Comms
Made-for-Defense Commercial Offering: The deal indicates SES’s growing role as a commercial provider tailored to defense needs, delivering end-to-end solutions including teleport, terrestrial links, and satellite bandwidth.
Multi-Orbit Strategy Advantage: While this contract is GEO-focused, SES’s multi-orbit portfolio (including O3b mPOWER) positions them well for flexible, resilient communications, especially for contested or dynamic operational environments.
Strategic Growth Signal: Reuters noted this follows other defense-related moves by SES, including a DoD space-based network selection in May and a Luxembourg defense satellite partnership announced in July.
Expert Insight
Prospect of Enhanced Resilience: Integrating GEO and MEO layers can afford robust redundancy and bandwidth scaling—critical in modern multi-domain operations.
Potential for Evolution: As military operations embrace distributed & contested cyber/space environments, SES’s adaptable, multi-orbit COMSATCOM offerings may prove increasingly vital.
