WASHINGTON - The Boeing Company in Arlington, Va., has been awarded a contract valued at up to $2 billion under the U.S. Space Force's Mobile User Objective System Service Life Extension (MUOS SLE) program to build two tactical communications satellites that will extend the military's narrowband satellite communications capabilities into the next decade.
Under the contract, Boeing will build Space Vehicles 6 and 7 for the MUOS constellation, adding two satellites to sustain the system as existing spacecraft approach the end of their operational lives during the 2030s.
The current MUOS constellation consists of five operational satellites in geostationary orbit that provide near-global coverage. Operating approximately 22,000 miles above Earth, geostationary satellites remain fixed relative to points on the Earth's surface, enabling continuous communications over designated regions without users needing to track moving spacecraft.
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MUOS UHF
MUOS provides secure narrowband satellite communications using the ultra-high frequency (UHF) spectrum, allowing warfighters to maintain voice and low-rate data connectivity through compact, omnidirectional antennas while on foot or aboard moving aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles.
Unlike broadband military satellite systems operating primarily in X- and Ka-band, which typically rely on high-gain directional antennas for maximum performance, UHF communications remain effective in dense vegetation, urban environments, mountainous terrain, and adverse weather, making them well suited for tactical operations where mobility and reliability are priorities.
While the Department of Defense (DoD)continues investing in broadband satellite communications and proliferated low-Earth-orbit constellations to support bandwidth-intensive applications such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and data transport, MUOS fills a complementary role by providing resilient, beyond-line-of-sight communications for tactical users equipped with handheld radios, manpack systems, vehicle-mounted terminals, aircraft, and maritime platforms.
Unlike proliferated low-Earth-orbit constellations optimized for broadband data transport, narrowband UHF satellite communications emphasize assured connectivity using low-power terminals with minimal antenna-pointing requirements, making them suited for dismounted personnel and tactical platforms operating under demanding field conditions.
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3G WCDMA
MUOS employs a network architecture derived from third-generation (3G) Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) commercial cellular technology. The onboard digital communications payload manages simultaneous users across multiple spot beams, improving spectrum efficiency while enabling cellular-style roaming, call handoffs, and significantly greater network capacity. According to the Space Force, the architecture provides roughly 10 times the communications capacity of legacy UHF satellite systems.
Boeing said the satellites are based on its 702MP spacecraft platform, a medium-power satellite bus introduced in 2009. The three-axis stabilized platform provides approximately 6 to 12 kilowatts of spacecraft power and was designed as a modular architecture capable of integrating a variety of military payloads.
The MUOS SLE program is managed by the Narrowband SATCOM Division within Space Systems Command's System Delta 88 (SYD 88) in Los Angeles.
According to the Space Force, the contract includes spacecraft development, delivery, system integration, and on-orbit test support for the two satellites.
Boeing will perform work at its El Segundo, Calif., facility. Launches are scheduled no earlier than 2031 for Space Vehicle 6 and 2032 for Space Vehicle 7.
