The US Space Force has completed the preliminary design review of its new broadband global satellite communication satellite, bringing the program one step closer to production. This engineering design review is an important milestone as it means we are one step closer to delivering this groundbreaking satellite to the Western Australian aircraft carrier in record time, greatly enhancing our capabilities and coverage for soldiers, sailors, pilots, and the Marine Corps.

Broadband Global Satellite Communications 11 is scheduled to be delivered by Boeing in 2023 and is expected to provide significant capability enhancements for the 10 WGS satellites currently in orbit. This advanced communication satellite will also be more flexible than previous satellites in the series, capable of generating more coverage beams than the entire existing constellation. As each individual beam can be customized according to the needs of the military, operators will be able to customize the beam to provide more broadband for the troops that need it in any specific situation.

WGS-11+is a leader program, which means that the Aerospace and Missile Systems Center is utilizing this platform to provide what the industry can offer for the rapid application of the latest commercial technologies. The production plan for this satellite is 5 years, which is 6 months faster than the previous WGS satellite. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the WGS project office, Boeing, and other organizations are collaborating to conduct preliminary design reviews in a fully virtual environment within three days. The successful completion of this important milestone demonstrates the WGS team's commitment to delivering these new capabilities to our combat personnel on time, despite facing limitations in an unprecedented work environment, "said Major Shawna Matthys, WGS-11+project manager.

With the completion of the preliminary design review, Boeing can now proceed with more detailed design work.

The army is the main user of the WGS constellation, using satellites to connect soldiers around the world. As America's adversaries strive to develop systems that can interfere with or degrade satellite communication signals, the US military is working to develop a more powerful and reliable constellation for its forces.