Telespazio Inks $200 Million Italian Military Satellite Procurement Deal
By Jeffrey Hill | July 20, 2012
[Satellite TODAY 07-20-12] Telespazio has been selected by the Italian Ministry of Defense as the prime contractor to produce a high-resolution Earth observation military satellite system for more than $200 million, its parent company Finmeccanica announced July 19 on its website.
Telespazio has sub-contracted construction of the new OPTSAT-3000 satellite to Israel Aerospace Industries’ MBT Space division. The satellite is currently set for a delivery in 2015.
Telespazio will be responsible for supplying the entire system, including: the ground segment; launch services; placement in orbit; preparation and execution of operational and logistical activities; in-orbit testing; and commissioning.
In a statement, Finmeccanica Chairman and CEO Giuseppe Orsi hailed the Telespazio deal as part of a combined $850 million one-day contract haul acquired by its subsidiaries.
“This agreement represents an important achievement not only for Finmeccanica and the operating companies Alenia Aermacchi, Telespazio and Selex Elsag, but for the entire [Italian] national economy,” said Orsi. “The agreement … is the result of a fruitful collaboration among the Italian government, the Israeli government, the business world and the institutions. It bears witness to the high competitive ability of made in Italy technology at an international level, where Finmeccanica stands at the forefront.”