Milsat Services GmbH signed a deal to lease satellite services from Intelsat General Corp., to provide services for a pair of secure military communication satellites for the German Armed Forces, Intelsat announced July 10.

Milsat, owned by EADS Space Services and ND Satcom, will lease C- and Ku-band services under a 10-year contract to support the SatcomBW Step 2 program. The transponders will cover from Eastern Asia to North America and South America. The program is designed to provide a secure information network for the German military and is due to begin operations in 2009.

EADS holds a 74.9 percent interest in Milsat Services, while ND Satcom owns the remaining 25.1 percent.