Iridium nabs $400M contract for EMSS communications services

Iridium Satellite LLC has won a $400 million sole source contract to provide unlimited DISA Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services, or EMSS, to the Defense Information Systems Agency.

EMSS provides deployed warfighters with global communications through security and user prioritization enhancements to commercial mobile satellite services, and includes global handheld voice, data, paging and sim-less Short Burst Data communications, according to DISA’s website.

Iridium will provide EMSS Iridium airtime for voice, data, paging and Distributed Tactical Communications System services for an unlimited number of federal government subscribers, and other DISA-sponsored subscribers, the Defense Department said.

DISA has hammered out a pricing schedule for the contract, as well: $64 million (year one), $72 million (year two), $88 million (years 3-5), for the total contract value of $400 million.

Work will be performed worldwide, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 21, 2018.