15 February 2023

Babcock wins major Skynet contract

by Olivia Savage

As part of the SDW contract, Babcock International will be required to operate and manage the spacecraft and the ground communications network, refresh any obsolete ground assets, and introduce new processes and technologies. (Airbus)

Babcock International has been awarded a major contract to support the Skynet 6 programme.

According to a UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announcement on 15 February, the authority has awarded Babcock International a GBP400 million (USD486.7 million) contract to manage and operate Skynet, under the Skynet 6 satellite communications (satcom) programme.

Known as the Skynet Service Delivery Wrap (SDW) contract, the company will be required to operate the UK's constellation of Skynet military satellites and ground stations, and integrate new user terminals into the MoD's network, the announcement detailed.

The deal spans a six-year period and is expected to begin in March 2023, the company noted. After a 12-month period of “mobilisation and preparation, the programme will achieve operational service by March 2024”, the MoD added.

Babcock International is to partner with SES, GovSat, and Intelsat and will assume responsibility for the Skynet 5 satellites and the ground communications network as part of SDW.

SDW will support the wider Skynet 6 programme, which intends to provide space-based communications up to 2041 with an overall government investment of GBP6 billion.

Other bidders for the SDW contract included Lockheed Martin, who partnered with a Serco-led consortium comprising CGI and Inmarsat, as well as British Telecommunications (BT), and Airbus Defence and Space, who partnered with KBR, Leidos, Northrop Grumman, and QinetiQ.

Babcock International has been awarded a major contract to support the Skynet 6 programme.

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