By
Theresa Hitchens on April 21, 2021 at 10:55 AM
Gen. David (DT) Thompson
WASHINGTON: The Space Force is working to expand acquisition of commercial space services from satellite communications to include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data and analysis, officials say.
“Comms, data relay, remote sensing, and even ISR and some other things [these] capabilities are increasingly available in the commercial market,” Space Force deputy Lt. Gen. DT Thompson told the 2021 C4ISR Conference today.
Thus, Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) head Lt. Gen. JT Thompson (no relation to DT) and Clare Grason, who runs the Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO) now “are looking to expand their responsibilities beyond just commercial SATCOM to the availability and use and procurement and provisioning of other commercial services,” he said.
By Lauren C. Williams
Apr 06, 2021
The Space Force has nominated a new commercial satellite communications contract to be part of the Defense Department s pilot for its unified cybersecurity standard for contractors, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program.
A request for information for the Inmarsat Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) and Global Xpress (GX) contract was amended March 31 to include requirements for the CMMC program so it explains and incorporates CMMC requirements that will apply to the procurement.
The RFI, which the Defense Information Systems Agency is leading on behalf of the Commercial Satellite Communications Office at Space Force, also states that the goal is to award separate contract vehicles for BGAN and GX offerings. Early respondents to the original RFI will need to submit an updated response by April 8.
Biden strikes back at Iran-backed militias
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