U.S. Space has completed a $291,159 study of feasible acquisition alternatives to satisfy military satellite communications needs that was contracted by the United States Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Military Satellite Communications Directorate.

The U.S. Space study identified and examined alternative approaches to the existing military satellite acquisition model and recommended alterations that will enable faster, more cost-effective, and more efficient solutions to meet U.S. Government needs.

Major General, USAF (Ret.) Craig P. Weston, CEO of U.S. Space LLC, said, "The government must start doing business differently in order to provide our warfighters with all the satellite communications capabilities they need. The Department of Defense and many of us in the satellite community understand that our nation not only needs to acquire the right MILSATCOM services; we also need to acquire them in the right way. The U.S. Space study identifies better, innovative government practices that put taxpayer dollars to their best use."

The U.S. Space study researched alternative models with which to acquire MILSATCOM capabilities using variations of a commercial fee-for-service model and compared these commercial approaches with traditional U.S. Government procurements of the same or substantially similar satellites.

Also included in the study was an analysis of acquisition law, regulation and policy to facilitate the use of these innovative procurement methods. The study recommends the use of innovative methods to acquire a portion of the dedicated MILSATCOM capabilities by leveraging the commercial capital markets through a service provider to finance the needed capabilities.

General Weston continued, "Our study demonstrates there is a better way for the government to procure a substantial portion of their MILSATCOM capabilities. All we need now is for the government to select the best of several models and for industry to step up. U.S. Space stands ready."

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