A new company, US Space, is to offer satellites intended only for military communication.
The new company will aim to meet the Pentagon’s need for more satellite capacity for communications and video surveillance relay when US forces deploy to remote regions.
US Space plans to build and launch small and inexpensive commercial satellites that can be deployed sooner than the military’s satellites for fast-changing battlefield needs, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The satellites will also provide sufficient bandwidth for military use and leasing, unlike conventional commercial satellites.
The high-altitude satellites are estimated to cost less than $125m each, about half the price for building and launching a large, top-of-the-line commercial satellite.
The company is backed by a group of aerospace contractors led by Orbital Science and other firms owned by former US defence personnel.
The US Space satellites will be ready for operation in about three years.
