Commercial SATCOM (COMSATCOM) Integration

Mission — Commercial SATCOM (COMSATCOM) Integration source

Commercial Satellite Communication (COMSATCOM) Integration develops, prototypes and demonstrates the capabilities required to fully leverage COMSATCOM as part of the Department of Defense's (DoD) SATCOM enterprise. The United States Space Force (USSF) has determined that an enterprise approach to the procurement, delivery and management of its SATCOM capabilities is the best means to create an environment that is responsive to Combatant Commanders and other users across the spectrum of conflict. In addition, an enterprise approach will improve affordability, Department purchasing power and mission assurance. Project 650140, COMSATCOM, will rapidly prototype and deliver Enterprise Management and Control (EM&C) integration tools and mission applications enabling warfighters to operate responsive and resilient SATCOM as a single enterprise. Project 651126, COMSATCOM Infrastructure, will develop and stand up COMSATCOM business and customer management tools, finalizing the Congressionally directed migration from Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) systems to USSF systems. Development of enhanced COMSATCOM acquisition capabilities leverage enterprise innovation activities focused on transforming how DoD acquires, accesses and deploys COMSATCOM capabilities. The COMSATCOM Project 650140 includes an International Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) SATCOM for the USSF to partner, explore, prototype, and integrate an international commercial SATCOM service into the DoD SATCOM enterprise. Luxembourg (LUX) MEO establishes the baseline satellite capability in partnership with the LUX Ministry of Defense (MoD), leveraging the commercial satellite communications system in MEO. The funding in the International MEO SATCOM will be used to demonstrate the onboarding of MEO commercial SATCOM services into the SATCOM architecture and Space Data Transport Force Design. Demonstrations will include utilizing EM&C for provisioning and planning, usage of Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW) over MEO Commercial SATCOM and integration of Protected Tactical Enterprise Services (PTES) hubs into commercial SATCOM capable gateways. Early adaption of capability will also be used to prototype and demonstrate fiber resiliency for large gateway backhaul via space. Capacity will further be used to demonstrate platforms use of multi-orbital terminals for Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (AISR), maritime communications and ground force mobile communications. Luxembourg is also procuring commercial SATCOM services and will contribute to international demonstration and testing of integrated and interoperable ground and space architecture elements. This partnership will also enable additional international partners to join and demonstrate the ability to bulk buy future capacity together to drive cost savings. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver 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.

Mission — COMSATCOM source

The backbone of Fighting SATCOM is a SATCOM EM&C capability for an Integrated SATCOM Enterprise. This is the foundation for SATCOM integration into an operational level Command and Control (C2) system that enables the end-to-end sensor-to-shooter execution serving to protect and defend, as well as theatre support missions for United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) and the Theater Combatant Commands. SATCOM EM&C applications will provide critical services to warfighters to facilitate timely, quality driven battlespace decisions for SATCOM allocation and use. The effort leverages a Development Security Operations (DevSecOps) platform to rapidly prototype and deliver EM&C mission applications enabling responsive, resilient SATCOM as prioritized by Space Operations Command (SpOC), Delta 8, SATCOM Integrated Operations Division (SIOD), and four Consolidated SATCOM Systems Experts (CSSEs). The four CSSEs cover Wideband, Narrowband, Protected, and Commercial SATCOM bands. SATCOM EM&C applications are delivered in capability categories identified in the DoD Chief Information Officer's (CIO) Enterprise SATCOM Management and Control (ESC-MC) Implementation Plan. Capabilities are incrementally developed using agile methodology and delivered into subsets identified in the DoD CIO's Implementation Plan, which will support the three imperatives (integrate data management, automate resource allocation, fuse situational awareness) and seven core capabilities (mobility and continuous communications, management common operating environment, enterprise SATCOM situational awareness/common operating picture, automated resource allocation, electromagnetic interference mitigation, continuity of operations, element/enterprise network interface) across the four SATCOM bands. In addition to USSF developed EM&C capabilities, USSF will demonstrate the onboarding of MEO commercial SATCOM services into the SATCOM architecture and Space Data Transport Force Design. The LUX MEO activity is an initial effort for the USSF to partner, explore, prototype, and integrate an international commercial SATCOM service into the DoD SATCOM enterprise. Demonstrations will include utilizing EM&C for provisioning and planning, usage of PTW over MEO Commercial SATCOM, and integration of PTES hubs into commercial satellite capable gateways. Early adoption of capability will also be used to prototype and demonstrate fiber resiliency for large gateway backhaul via space. Capacity will further be used to demonstrate platforms use of multi-orbital terminals for AISR, maritime communications and communications on the move. Luxembourg government is also procuring commercial SATCOM services to contribute to international demonstration and testing of integrated and interoperable ground and space architecture elements. This international partnership intends to demonstrate the ability to jointly procure communication capacity services that will result in a higher return on US DoD SATCOM investment and potentially lead to future international partnering opportunities. Activity priorities are subject to change as determined by the operational user, SpOC, Delta 8.

Mission — COMSATCOM Infrastructure source

In accordance with the FY 2018 National Defense Authorization Act 1601(a), as amended, and on behalf of the CSO and in consultation with the DoD CIO, the USSF Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO), serves as the sole authority for the procurement of COMSATCOM services for the DoD; this responsibility was previously held by DISA. In order to provide the joint warfighter with modernized access to COMSATCOM services and ensure combat effectiveness across all domains, the CSCO requires a comprehensive COMSATCOM Enterprise Technology (COMET) Systems of Systems to provide required business suite financial management and customer and contract support systems. The COMET programs implementation of the COMSATCOM Business Suite (CBS) tool is also critical to complete the Congressionally mandated COMSATCOM mission transition from DISA to USSF. The CBS tool will have multiple components including: (1) Business Suite & Marketplace designed to automate and streamline requests for work and customer interaction, thereby replacing manual processes for over 100 different contracts valued at $5 billion over the future year defense program; (2) Financial Management System required to operate a new and cutting-edge Enterprise Space Activity Group (ESAG) under the Air Force Working Capital Funds (AFWCF); (3) Integration with third party systems and capabilities, including cloud-based hosting and EM&C - the nexus of future USSF space-based SATCOM C2.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (4)