Industry Hopeful as U.S. Air Force Weighs Commercial Satellite Lease

摘要

The U.S. Air Force is contemplating a procurement of commercial satellite capacity covering western Africa in a demonstration that industry officials hope is an indication of the Defense Department's willingness to break buying habits that they say are outmoded and inefficient. In a request for information released Sept. 16 on the Federal Business Opportunities website, the Air Force Space and Missile Systems (SMC) Center in Los Angeles said it was interested in leasing multiple transponders for the remainder of a geostationary-orbiting satellite's life on behalf of U.S. Africa Command.