Boeing announced Monday that WGS-3, the third Wideband Global Satcom satellite, has entered Air Force service. “This milestone means that our warfighters around the world, even deep in the mountains or far out at sea, can now reap the benefits of high-capacity communications,” said Col. Don Robbins, commander of the WGS Satcom Group at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., in Boeing’s release. WGS-3 is located over the Atlantic Ocean. The Air Force placed it into orbit in December 2009. It joined WGS-1 and WGS-2, which are perched over the Pacific Ocean and Middle East, respectively. Air Force officials announced in late June that US Strategic Command had accepted operational command and control of WGS-3. Boeing is already under contract to build three additional WGS satellites for the Air Force; they will be more sophisticated than the first three.
Competitors Not Picked for CCA Look Forward to Increment 2
April 25, 2024
While none of the major aircraft contractors were selected to develop the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, all three say they are seeking further autonomous aircraft work for the Navy, foreign partners, or in the classified arena, and maybe future versions of the CCA itself.