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Intelsat received a task order under the Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit (PLEO) contract vehicle to provide the U.S. Department of Defense with maritime connectivity. 

Under the 12-month task order, Intelsat said it will provide satellite bandwidth, equipment, and services to the DoD for global maritime coverage. Intelsat said its work under this order will support global maritime operations for multiple government end users.

PLEO is a U.S. Space Force contract vehicle started in 2023 to allow the government to procure commercial LEO satellite capabilities. Intelsat was named to the contract vehicle in 2023, along with a number of other commercial companies. At the time, the PLEO ceiling was $900 million, but it has since been increased to $13 billion. 

Last year, U.S. Space Force officials said that most PLEO task orders up to that point had gone to SpaceX for Starshield, the military version of Starlink, which led to the increase in funding. Viasat received a $3.5 million PLEO task order in February. 

“Intelsat is uniquely positioned to offer value-added solutions to the Defense Department through this important program,” commented David Broadbent, president of Intelsat Government Solutions. “Our partnerships with LEO operators, combined with our fleet of more than 55 GEO satellites, global teleports, security operations center and one of the largest terrestrial network in the world, positions Intelsat to provide strong but flexible communications during critical missions.”