Britain is expanding its communications coverage in Asia by repositioning one of its secure communications satellites to cover East Asia and the Pacific.
Airbus will reposition a Skynet 5 satellite, which will provide the UK with “secure communications and a greater ability to support regional humanitarian and peacekeeping operations,” according to a Ministry of Defense statement. Airbus will also build a ground station in Australia, which “represents significant export opportunities for the UK as any spare communication capacity will be sold.”
Defense Minister Philip Dunne announced the move at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace exhibition in Malaysia. ”This is the first time that we have had a secure communications capability in the region, and shows the depth of our commitment to our allies and partners in the region, including Malaysia, in humanitarian and peacekeeping operations,” Dunne said.
The Skynet 5 satellites and ground stations are operated by Airbus, which provides all Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communications to the British military.
The satellite is scheduled to be in position by mid-2015.
