Hughes Network Systems LLC (Hughes) yesterday said it was awarded an extension contract by the Department of Defense (DoD) for its current study of commercial communications satellite (COCOMSAT) systems capabilities. 

“Hughes is proud to extend its analysis of commercial satellite architectures and acquisition approaches for the U.S. military,” said Rick Lober, vice president and general manager of Hughes Defense and Intelligence Systems Division. 

The extension calls for analyzing enterprise trade-offs among modems and teleports, satellite communication payloads, terminal constraints, performance, and operations and mission planning, with the results to be delivered to the Air Force Space and Missile Command Center’s Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) Systems Directorate in early 2012. 

“The team has made great strides examining requirements and testing processing architectures, such as those found on Hughes SPACEWAY® 3 and JupiterTM satellites,” Lober said. “We look forward to helping the DoD determine how to best meet the needs of our warfighters, especially in light of our austere budget environment.”