European Military Satcom Pooling Deal Could Portend Something Bigger

摘要

The European Defence Agency (EDA) on Sept. 28 signed a three-year contract with Astrium Services to act as a brokerage for commercial Ku-, Ka- and C-band satellite capacity on behalf of the defense ministries of five European nations. EDA officials said they hope the deal, which was years in the making, is the thin end of a wedge that could lead to the joint investment by European governments in next-generation military satellite communications systems.