HisdeSat Servicios Estrategicos, S.A. (HisdeSat) has entered a contract with the BELGIUM MoD/Direction Generale Material Resources for the provision of X-band communications services using the XTAR-EUR and SPAINSAT satellites. Under the terms of the contract, the Belgium MoD ordered a "fix capacity" for an initial period of time and reserves the right to also order an additional "on call" capacity at the agreed price. The contract will be tacitly renewed yearly for an indefinite numbers of years.
The Belgium MoD contract has been awarded to HisdeSat following an international open tender. Others NATO European satcom services subscribers with HisdeSat include: the project launcher nation Spain, Denmark, Germany and an undisclosed country.
XTAR-EUR was launched in February 2005. The satellite is owned and operated by XTAR LLC, a joint venture between Loral Space and Communications and HisdeSat. It is now fully operational and providing services to the above mentioned countries and the US Department of State.
Located at 29 degrees East longitude, the satellite carries twelve 72 MHz high-power X-band transponders that provide coverage from Eastern Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean, across all of Europe, Africa and the Middle East to SE Asia.
SPAINSAT, a similar satellite, with 8 transponders available for lease, was launched in March 2006. The satellite is owned and operated by HisdeSat. Located at 30 degrees West, the satellite is fully operational and provide coverage from the Eastern Pacific Ocean to Iraq.
Jointly both satellites cover almost 2/3 of the Earth's surface from Denver (USA) to Singapore. XTAR-EUR and SPAINSAT are expected to provide service for nearly 20 years.
Both XTAR-EUR and SPAINSAT satellites were manufactured by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) and feature traditional global beams as well as on-board switching and multiple steerable beams, allowing users access to X-band capacity as they travel anywhere within the footprint of the satellite.
The satellites are designed to work with existing X-band terminals, as well as next generation X-band small tactical and submarines terminals featuring less than 2.4 meters antennae.
