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SITH is the latest of three core EMSS agreements between Iridium and the US Space Force, alongside the EMSS Airtime Contract and the Capabilities and Security Sustainment Services Contract awarded in April 2024.
Iridium's satellite network provides global voice, data, and positioning, navigation, and timing services intended to support mission-critical communications for military users under a wide range of environmental conditions.
The Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services Capabilities and Security Sustainment Services contract was awarded to Iridium in April 2024.
Iridium satellites feature inter-satellite cross-links, allowing them to route traffic between satellites before sending it to a ground station.
The U.S. Space Force depends on Iridium for specific capabilities unmatched by other providers.
Iridium Communications has a long-standing and strategic partnership with the U.S. Space Force centered around the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services program.
Iridium communications are crucial for the USSF and Department of Defense users operating in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
The ECS3 contract focuses on sustaining the USSF's Iridium infrastructure, including daily operations, maintenance, and security sustainment.
The signal travel time for Iridium satellites in Low Earth Orbit is significantly shorter than for GEO satellites.
Iridium satellites and their pole-to-pole orbit provide 100% Earth coverage, unlike GEO satellites that have limited coverage at extreme latitudes.
On December 2, 2025, Iridium was awarded the System Infrastructure Transformation and Hybridization contract.
The SITH contract is one of three core contracts between Iridium and the Space Force for EMSS.
The U.S. Space Force awarded Iridium an infrastructure transformation contract worth up to $85.8 million for lifecycle upgrades to the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services (EMSS) service center.
Iridium indicates that the award reflects a broader trend of the military relying on industry for resilient satellite communications.
The SITH contract follows the Gateway Evolution contract that Iridium received in 2019.
Iridium's solutions with the Department of Defense are designed to serve every layer of the warfighter’s P.A.C.E. plan.
Satisfactory satellite service providers include ViaSat, Iridium, Intelsat/SES, EchoStar/Hughes, and Globalstar/Apple.
The solution is enabled by SKYTRAC’s ISAT-200A and integrates with Airbus’ Helionix system to transmit in-flight data to ground crews via the Iridium network.
WaveLINK provides global coverage via the Iridium Certus network and includes mandatory GMDSS features like distress alerting and safety voice.
Vodafone IoT CEO Erik Brenneis stated that the partnership with Iridium opens the door to a new generation of IoT connectivity.