Ministry of Defence
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Skies The Limit For New Military Satellite
Military communications on operations are to further enhanced, thanks to a new £400 million contract to use a new satellite, the Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, announced today.
The Skynet 5D which is the fourth satellite of its kind to be used by the MoD is roughly three times the length of a double decker bus and will be launched in 2013 playing a key role in gathering intelligence on operations. The satellite will also be used to provide the telephone and internet welfare support facilities for Service personnel on operations.
Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, said:
“Future operations require that our Armed Forces are given access to the best possible communications and this new satellite will go a long way to ensuring this.
“This value for money package not only builds upon a tried and tested capability for the Armed Forces, but also secures hundreds of jobs in a very important field of technology.”
The build of Skynet 5D will directly create around 100 new jobs, mainly at EADS Astrium’s sites in Portsmouth and Stevenage. It will also sustain approximately 800 jobs at these sites and in Corsham, Wiltshire, at Paradigm's Hawthorn site.
Lord Drayson, Minister for Science and Innovation, said:
"The UK's thriving space and satellite industry has been a real recession-buster - creating jobs and achieving exceptional growth. This latest success cements the UK's position as a world leader in satellite technology, with the sector forecast to be worth £40Bn to the UK by 2030."
Darrell Midgley, MOD Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), Information Systems and Services Networks Head, said:
“The demand for satellite communications is growing faster than originally predicted. To ensure that future operations will continue to have access to the vital communications they may need, the MOD has decided to make arrangements to take advantage of the services that a fourth satellite in the Paradigm’s Skynet constellation would provide.”
Notes for Editors
1. For stills and imagery please go to www.defencenewsimagery.mod.uk
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2. The Skynet 5 contract was placed in 2003 and will continue until at least 2022.
3. Under the PFI deal, the MOD is buying satellite services, not the satellites. The overall PFI programme is now worth about £3.5Bn over its planned duration, which will be at least until 2022.
4. The latest contract extension with Paradigm will cost the MOD over £400M which will cover the satellite services provided and will fall within the overall cost of the programme.
5. Paradigm are the owners and operators of the satellites and provide the service to the MOD.
6. Paradigm is able to market any unutilised (by MOD) capacity under the important third party sales element of the deal.
7. The Skynet PFI arrangement is with Paradigm Secure Communications Limited. Other companies are Serco, Logica, EADS Astrium and EADS Defence and Security. Paradigm’s parent company is EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space).
8. For further information contact:
Tim Foreman at the DE&S Press Office on 0117 913
0637/07990 506591
Squadron Leader Al Green at the MOD Press
Office on 020 7218 13256
Daniel Mosely, Media Manager (UK)
Astrium on 01438 778180.
Contacts:
Ministry of Defence
NDS.MOD@coi.gsi.gov.uk
