Calian receives contract from German defence ministry

Executive Summary

• SatService GmbH, a subsidiary of Calian Group Ltd., has been awarded a contract by the German Federal Ministry of Defence (represented by the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich) to deliver an advanced Q/V-band satellite ground station.
• The project involves the design, manufacture, testing, and delivery of a full-service ground station, including a high-performance four-metre antenna system, to support scientific and modern military satellite communications (SATCOM).
• The delivered system will serve as part of the terrestrial laboratory at the Bundeswehr University Munich, providing secure, high-throughput connectivity for trainee officers and supporting critical C5ISRT functions for the German Armed Forces.

Key Details

• Contractor: SatService GmbH (subsidiary of Calian Group Ltd.).
• Client: Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany, represented by the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich.
• Deliverable: Advanced, full-service Q/V-band satellite ground station.
• Hardware Specifications: Includes a high-performance four-metre antenna system.
• Technical Capabilities:
  • Operates in the Q/V-band frequency range for geostationary orbit (GEO) applications.
  • Provides secure, high-throughput satellite connectivity.
  • Includes software, hardware, cybersecure architectures, and operational support.
• Operational Purpose:
  • Supports scientific applications via communication between GEO satellites and ground-based facilities.
  • Educates German Armed Forces trainee officers on SATCOM operational benefits, including continuous regional coverage, increased data capacity, and resilience against interference.
  • Supports C5ISRT (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting) functions.
• Strategic Context: Addresses the EU and Germany's investment in satellite communications to secure sovereignty and access multiple frequency bands.

Notable Quotes

• "Germany and the EU are heavily investing in satellite communications capabilities to secure and defend their sovereignty, and access to multiple frequency bands is a critical part of their initiative," said Wilfried Megger, managing director, SatService.
• "Working with customers like Germany's defence university, our team will combine decades of engineering experience with our system integration capabilities to deliver a SATCOM solution that is tailor-made to meet their needs. The solution builds on our unique ability to deliver not only the antennas themselves, but the full system -- including software, hardware, cybersecure architectures and operational support -- all with a strong customer-focused approach."