Wideband Global SATCOM (SPACE)

Mission — WGS Space Systems Resiliency Upgrade source

The Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) System provides the Department of Defense (DoD) with high data rate military satellite communication (MILSATCOM) services in accordance with the Joint Space Management Board-approved MILSATCOM architecture (August 1996), the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC)-approved MILSATCOM Capstone Requirements Document (October 1997), and JROC-approved WGS Operational Requirements Document (May 2000). Dual-frequency WGS satellites augment, then replace the DoD's Defense Satellite Communications System X-band service and augment one-way Global Broadcast Service Ka-band capabilities. In addition, WGS provides a high capacity two-way Ka-band Service. This program was originally conceived to augment the near-term "bandwidth gap" in warfighter communications needs but it remains to be the DoD's primary wideband system. WGS has 10 operational legacy satellites and WGS-11 and WGS-12 (WGS-11 & 12) are in development as the first modern digital payloads using commercial technologies providing more coverage beams than their existing WGS predecessors combined and delivering twice the operational capacity than previous WGS analog satellites. Funding for this effort supports the advanced capabilities for WGS-11 & 12 under development for launch in FY 2026 and FY 2027, respectively. Project 657107, WGS Space Systems Resiliency Upgrade, enables the addition of WGS-12 to the constellation due to the increase in required capability on the core WGS ground system, Global SATCOM Configuration Control Element (GSCCE), to support both WGS-11 and 12 simultaneously from the same operational site. In May 2024, the DoD Chief Information Office endorsed re-direction of Beam Optimization & Operational Management (BOOM) funds towards GSCCE modernization. In FY2026 the program will restart WGS-BOOM. The objective of the WGS-BOOM effort is for the development, integration, and test of advanced beam management to enhance WGS-11 & 12 baseline beam management tools in support of rapid planning and control. This effort will develop and deploy capabilities across the WGS enterprise to provide WGS-11 & 12 management and control (M&C) ground enhancements with responsive end-to-end mission planning, protection, and terminal synchronized capabilities. WGS BOOM development includes upgrades to the WGS-11 & 12 payload control system, Global SATCOM Configuration Control Element (GSCCE), to decrease operational timelines to be able to better track and support airborne ISR missions as they move through the theater. The 10 operational legacy WGS satellites on-orbit were each developed by building on heritage WGS capabilities. Continually improving WGS capability and leveraging advances in Boeing commercial technology, in FY 2018 the DoD has procured a more advanced single WGS-11 satellite (previously referenced as WGS-11+ to designate meeting the Congressional intent of two satellites, herein referenced as WGS-11 with the new Congressional add of WGS-12) enhancing support to the US military, DoD, and allied nations with more flexibility and mission capacity to support dispersed users than previous WGS spacecraft. The new capabilities allow operators to create unique coverage anywhere within the satellite's field of view and custom designed for the mission at hand. In FY 2024, the DoD contracted for WGS-12, a clone of the WGS-11 spacecraft with the Protected Tactical SATCOM (PTS) as a hosted payload. WGS-12 was added to the WGS Block II Follow On (B2FO) contract. The advanced beam management capabilities of WGS-11 & 12 payloads will produce more coverage beams (over 1500) than the entire existing WGS constellation and deliver twice the mission capacity than WGS-10 can, thereby operationally increases the availability of military-grade communications. The objective of the GSCCE modernization effort is to integrate GSCCE architecture utilized to manage and control both the legacy 10 WGS satellites and additional WGS-11 & 12 satellites in production into the modern Wideband SATCOM Operational Management System (WSOMS) Mediated Interoperability Infrastructure (WMII) hardware. This effort will develop and deploy modern hardware and software capabilities across the WGS enterprise to provide payload management tools in support of planning and control to all WGS satellites, to include the advanced capabilities of WGS-11 & 12. This funding will also be utilized to integrate and deploy the full suite of Mitigation and Anti-Jam Enhancements (MAJE) nodes for WGS 1-10 X-band interference mitigation capabilities. WGS Block I consists of satellites 1-3, Block II consists of satellites 4-6 and Block II Follow On (B2FO) includes satellites 7-12. WGS satellites 1-10 have been funded, procured and launched in previous budget cycles. With the operation of WGS-5, the constellation provided global coverage and Full Operational Capability (FOC) was declared on 12 May 2014. In the Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY 2018, Congress added 600M Space Force Procurement in FY 2018 for "full funding for WGS-11 and WGS-12." A sole source Request for Proposal was released to Boeing in June 2018. A final decision was made to procure a single satellite (once designated as WGS-11+ but will herein forward be referenced as WGS-11) with twice the operational capacity of WGS-10 as the best approach to delivering the directed additional WGS capacity in a cost- effective manner. WGS-11 will host a PTS payload providing robust anti-jam capability to tactical warfighters, funded by the Protected Tactical SATCOM (PTS) program in PE 1206761SF. In the Consolidated Defense Appropriations Act, FY 2023, Congress added 442M Space Force Procurement in FY 2023 for "Protected Wideband Satellite" to procure a protected wideband satellite providing resilient, jam resistant tactical communications to support warfighter needs. The United States Space Force (USSF) has interpreted the Congressional add is intended to procure a WGS-12 satellite equipped with the tactical anti-jam capabilities identical with WGS-11 including the PTS hosted payload. The funding will cover costs for a WGS-12 spacecraft clone of the WGS-11 to include a PTS hosted payload. The current B2FO Acquisition Program Baseline (APB) allows for procurement of a WGS-12 and the acquisition is a Firm Fixed Price effort with integration of PTS in FY 2026 and launch in FY 2027. Since the Congressional add did not include funding for a launch vehicle, ground activities and other Government costs, the USSF is pursuing International Partner (IP) sources to cover additional funding required by FY 2025 these additional requirements. IPs receive constellation-wide WGS resources commensurate with their financial contributions to the WGS system. Investment from IPs to cooperatively enhance the system started in November 2007 through a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Australia to fund WGS space vehicle (SV)-6, launch and launch services. Five countries (Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, Luxembourg, New Zealand) signed a new multilateral WGS MOU in CY 2012 and funded the procurement of WGS SV-9. In CY 2017, Amendment One to the WGS MOU leveraged additional funding for resiliency enhancements from two new IPs (Czech Republic and Norway). In CY 2022, nine countries signed Amendment Two to the multilateral MOU (adds Belgium and United Kingdom) to cover necessary ground upgrades and launch costs for WGS-11 not covered by the FY 2018 Congressional add, and extends the duration of the WGS MOU, as amended, through September 2039. There is an agreement in coordination via the State Department regarding IP collaboration with WGS-12. Space Systems Command (SSC) provides program management, engineering expertise through FY 2028. Discussions for potential future partnerships regarding the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) program continue in support of National Space Policy and improved operational efficiency. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver WGS-11 & 12 for weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 1206392SF and 1206398SF. This program is in Budget Activity 5, System Development and Demonstration (SDD) because it has passed Milestone B approval and is conducting engineering and manufacturing development tasks aimed at meeting validated requirements prior to full rate production. This program is in Budget Activity 5, System Development and Demonstration (SDD) because it has passed Milestone B approval and is conducting engineering and manufacturing development tasks aimed at meeting validated requirements prior to full rate production.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (2)