Air Force adds satellite support

The Air Force last week announced that it has awarded Harris Corp. a one-year, $43 million contract to provide operations and maintenance services for the communications functions of the Satellite Control Network at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., and Onizuka Air Force Station, Calif.

The Air Force 50th Space Wing, which runs satellite operation centers and their communications networks at Schriever — as well as remote tracking stations and other command and control facilities worldwide — manages the Air Force Satellite Control Network. Those facilities monitor satellites during launch, position the satellites in the proper orbits, operate the satellites in orbit and resolve satellite anomalies when they occur.

Under terms of the mission communications operations and maintenance (MCOM) contract, Harris will provide communications support services that include:

* Site integration.

* Scheduling.

* Maintenance of technical drawings.

* Database applications programming.

* Local-area network/wide-area network operations.

* Help-desk functions.

* Military satellite communications terminal operations.

Harris already provides operations and maintenance support for the Air Force Satellite Control Network's worldwide locations under the $220 million Operational Space Services and Support (OSSS) contract. If all options are exercised, the MCOM contract could be worth $355 million by 2009.

Bob Henry, president of Harris' Government Communications Systems Division, said that with the MCOM and OSSS awards, "the Air Force now has a single team dedicated to its mission of satellite telemetry tracking and commanding."

Harris Technical Services Corp., based in Alexandria, Va., is executing both contracts on behalf of Harris Corp.