Intelsat General, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intelsat, has been awarded a contract by DRS Technologies to provide X-band satellite connectivity, fiber and teleport services in the Middle East using Intelsat infrastructure and the Skynet satellite fleet owned and operated by Paradigm Secure Communications.

Under the terms of the contract, Intelsat General will provide DRS Technologies with a package of managed services that include an asymmetric 155 Mbps satellite link, high-speed modems with advanced coding, ground stations, fiber connectivity and terrestrial equipment for the high-data-rate X-band link.

The team will leverage the expertise of all three companies in the provision of a turnkey managed service to the government customer. DRS Technologies, based in Parsippany, NJ, is a leading supplier of integrated products, services and support to military forces, intelligence agencies and prime commercial contractors worldwide.

The initial one-year contract has a value of $6.5 million and, if all options are exercised, will be valued at $48 million over three years. Paradigm, a wholly owned subsidiary of European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), was established specifically to provide protected and survivable satellite communication services to the UK Ministry of Defence worldwide.

"Our strong presence in the Middle East, coupled with the technical expertise of Intelsat General, will allow us to bring a range of X-band communications services to the clients we serve," said Dr. Mitchell Rambler, President of the Technical Services Segment of DRS.

Kay Sears, senior vice president of Intelsat General, said "Our strong relationships with DRS and Paradigm facilitated delivery to a US customer of the latest and most capable generation of the Skynet fleet of satellites, leveraging on-board array technology for beam shaping, anti-jam and space-based interference geo-location. This offers a unique opportunity for NATO governments and their military forces worldwide."

"Being able to offer our Skynet capacity to U.S.-based customers is another major step forward for Paradigm," said Eric Beranger, CEO of the Astrium Services division of EADS.

"With the most powerful X-band capability in orbit, our Skynet 5 satellites will extend the coverage and range of military satellite communications services available to government customers worldwide."