The Army awarded The Boeing Co. [BA], General Dynamics Corp. [GD] and four smaller contractors roles in the $5 billion World Wide Satellite Systems program.

This program calls for six satellite terminal types, operating on a variety of military and commercial satellite bands, including C, Ku, X and Ka, and services for satellite operation and sustainment, according to Boeing.

The six types include combat support service very small aperture terminal (VSAT); fixed station satellite terminal; flyaway VSAT satellite terminal; military certified satellite terminal; prime mover/trailer mounted satellite terminal; and deployable satellite earth terminal.

Advanced Information Systems, a unit of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems, will provide satellite communication systems, as well as engineering and support services, that provide commercial and tactical beyond-line-of-sight communications.

Boeing’s solution will support current systems and strategic satellite communications to sustain a flexible baseband, while offering continuous technological improvements in performance, logistics supportability, reliability and maintainability.

“Satellite communications have become integral to overall mission success,” said Dan Jones, director of Advanced Information Systems. “Boeing has assembled a team of small and large best-of-industry suppliers to deliver turnkey network-centric communications solutions that will enable federal agencies, homeland security, military organizations, and others to quickly respond to emerging requirements.”

Other firms selected include TeleCommunications Systems Inc. [TSYS] of Annapolis, Md.; DataPath Inc. of Duluth, Ga.; D&SCI of Eatontown, N.J.; and Globecomm Systems Inc. [GCOM] of Hauppauge, N.Y.

TeleCommunication Systems will offer turn-key, single source, quick reaction solutions for emerging communications requirements worldwide in support of all federal missions. Such solutions will include the entire Telecommunications SwiftLink suite of products and services that support secure, deployable communications, according to the company.

DataPath stated that its selection for the program came in a comprehensive indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract for satellite communications networks and related systems and services for both the Department of Defense and non-defense federal agencies.

According to DataPath, the firm is qualified to sell solutions in all the categories of terminals represented in the WWSS program, from small portable systems to fixed Earth stations.

Globecomm Systems expects the program will provide work for the next five years.

The Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems and Warfighter Information Network-Tactical Program jointly manage the program. It will bring government agencies turnkey commercial satellite systems and associated support services for satellite terminals, including all hardware, software, services and data to operate terminals.