XTAR is a joint venture between Loral Space & Communications and HISDESAT.

The initial five-year agreement will provide the RDN with capacity either in right- or left-hand circular polarization on the XTAR-EUR satellite, ideally located at 29 degrees East longitude.

"By taking advantage of XTAR's right- or left-hand polarization, the Royal Danish Navy will be able to use its new, state-of-the-art dual-polarization terminals," said Miguel Angel Primo, chief operating officer, HISDESAT. "The use of both polarizations on the XTAR satellite essentially doubles throughput compared to older, single-polarization satellites, making available much needed X-band capacity."

In addition to being Loral Space & Communications' joint venture partner in XTAR, HISDESAT acts as XTAR's exclusive sales agent to certain Western European ministries of defense.

Denis Curtin, chief operating officer, XTAR, said, "The agreement with the RDN is a direct result of the unique industry and government partnership that XTAR and HISDESAT have achieved with its joint venture. Denmark is now the second European nation to use XTAR-EUR following the company's initial contract with the Spanish Ministry of Defense."

In May 2005, XTAR was awarded a contract with the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Telecommunications Service Program Office (DTS-PO), Fairfax, Va., to provide X-band communications services to embassies and consulates in Africa and Asia. The DTS Network provides responsive, reliable, secure, and cost-effective telecommunications services to users at more than 260 sites around the world, representing nearly 50 U.S. Government entities.

In 2005, XTAR demonstrated its high-power X-band service to branches of the US military and other allied governments. Using legacy equipment, test results from XTAR-EUR have consistently shown data rates that far eclipse current military X-band systems. With minor antenna and terminal modifications, XTAR has achieved data rates in excess of 100 Mbps using both left and right hand polarizations.

Built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), XTAR-EUR entered service in April 2005. The satellite carries twelve 72 MHz, high-power X-band transponders that provide coverage from Eastern Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean, across all of Europe, Africa and the Middle East to as far east as Singapore.

XTAR-EUR is expected to provide service for nearly 20 years. Upon the launch of SPAINSAT in early 2006, XTAR will lease eight 72 MHz X-band transponders on the satellite, to be designated XTAR-LANT, in order to provide greater flexibility and additional X-band services.

The XTAR-EUR satellite features traditional global beams as well as on- board switching and multiple steerable beams, allowing users access to X-band capacity as they travel anywhere within the footprint of the satellite. XTAR- EUR is designed to work with existing X-band terminals, as well as next generation X-band terminals that feature antennas smaller than 2.4 meters.

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