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WGS

Boeing Satellite Systems Inc. in El Segundo, CA received a $148.2 million firm-fixed incentive with firm-target contract. It instructs Boeing to begin work on the fourth satellite in the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite (WGS) system, a set of 13-kilowatt spacecraft based upon Boeing’s 702 satellite model. Boeing is already under contract to build the first three satellites for the WGS system, a multi-spacecraft constellation designed to do exactly what its name implies, and provide much-needed bandwidth-anywhere capacity for US forces. DID has covered the Wideband Gapfiller System in-depth.

As part of the non-recurring engineering effort, Boeing Satellite Systems will be addressing spacecraft hardware obsolescence issues through the implementation of alternative components or designs, or selection of new suppliers. They’ll also be handling advance procurement of long-lead-time parts for the manufacture of WGS #4. Solicitations began December 2005, negotiations were complete in February 2006, and work will be complete by July 2007. The Headquarters Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, CA issued the contract (FA8808-06-C-0001).

According to US DoD documents, The FY 2006 budget allocated $164.3 million to the WGS program: $72 million for procurement, and $92.3 million in R&D. The FY 2007 request for the program is $452.1 million: $414.4 million to procure satellite #4, and $37.7 million in R&D.