Space Force awards follow-on contract to scale terrestrial data transport system

The Space Force’s acquisition arm has awarded a $188 million contract to Sev1Tech to expand its ground-based data transport network, the service announced Tuesday.

The announcement comes three years after Space Systems Command (SSC) awarded Sev1Tech a $46.5 million pathfinder contract to develop a prototype of the capability — known as meshONE-T — at 17 locations around the world. Under the follow-on agreement, Sev1Tech will now scale the terrestrial network over 85 fixed sites and enhance its capabilities “with 24/7/365 managed transport services and enterprise-wide upgrades,” according to an SSC news release.

MeshONE-T is a ground-based architecture that serves as a “data-transport-as-a-service” for other customers within the Defense Department, Col. Peter Mastro, senior materiel leader for the tactical command, control and communication delta within SSC’s battle management command, control and communications (BMC3) program executive office, previously told DefenseScoop.

“You can buy into what we have, and in doing so you join an integrated network,” Mastro said during a meeting with reporters in April. “When you join the meshONE network — and even if you just get one node at your location — you now are connected to every other node in the mesh network.”

The network of data transport nodes allows different programs and military services to securely share data with one another, breaking down antiquated technical and procedural barriers in order to enable interoperability.

Specifically, meshONE-T is ideal for moving large capacity, big bandwidth and high-performance data over long distances, according to the Space Force.

The capability is one of the service’s key efforts related to the Pentagon-wide effort initiative known as Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2), which seeks to deploy technologies that connect platforms and weapons from all the services and key foreign partners under a single network to provide faster and more effective decision-making.

Since Sev1Tech began prototyping meshONE-T in 2021, the capability has supported a number of programs for the DAF Battle Network — the Department of the Air Force contribution to CJADC2. Demonstrations have been done for the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) and the cloud-based command and control capability (CBC2), as well as the Space Force’s Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) program for missile warning and tracking.

Along with adding dozens of new sites, the follow-on contract will also allow the Space Force to enhance meshONE-T’s overall capability. Mastro previously said those improvements would include connecting the network to commercial and military-specific satellite communications networks in low-Earth orbit.