SATCOMBw

Providing stable and secure communications for the missions of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) abroad is key, particularly in regions where the infrastructure for communications between deployment sites and the home base is unreliable.

In these scenarios, tap-proof satellite-based networks can be deployed quickly and reliably. They consist of sovereign communications satellites coupled with a variety of fixed and transportable ground stations and equipment to control and monitor these networks.

For more than a decade now, Airbus has been the SATCOMBw Stage 2 prime contractor, responsible for the design, implementation and delivery of portable ground systems providing the Bundeswehr with perfect autonomy, security and absolute reliability for its satellite telecommunications.

SATCOMBw Stage 2 includes the operation of the two military satellites COMSATBw 1 and COMSATBw 2 as well as their teleport and associated networks. The satellites provide communication capacities in UHF and X-band, plus additional capacity in C- and Ku-bands, covering an area stretching from the Americas to Eastern Asia.

Airbus works continuously with the Bundeswehr to improve and adapt SATCOMBw to meet changing requirements, both in daily operations and in defining future developments. The good collaboration between the parties was extended in July 2024 when the  Bundeswehr awarded Airbus the SATCOMBw 3 prime contract for the next generation secure military satellite system which includes geostationary satellites as well as the ground segment, launch and operation for 15 years.