The US Air Force has increased Raytheon’s contract for protected satellite communications terminals by about $2 billion, pushing the total potential value to nearly $2.97 billion.
The modification expands work on the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) Terminal, part of the US military’s hardened satellite communications architecture designed to support secure command and control in contested environments. This raises the total from the original award of $960 million.
Work will take place in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and Largo, Florida, with completion expected by August 2031.
The AEHF Terminal is a ground and mobile communications system that connects military users to the AEHF satellite constellation, a network designed to provide secure, survivable communications for strategic and tactical forces.
AEHF satellites operate in the extremely high frequency spectrum and feature advanced anti-jam protection, low probability of intercept, and secure encryption. These capabilities make the system critical for supporting nuclear command, control, and communications, as well as secure communications for deployed forces.
Boosting Protected Communications
The Raytheon contract fits into a broader US effort to strengthen military satellite communications against jamming and interception threats. Multiple programs are underway to improve resilience at both strategic and tactical levels.
In August 2025, the US Space Force’s Space Systems Command awarded a $37.5-million contract to companies including Viasat, Northrop Grumman, Astranis Space Technologies, Intelsat General, and Boeing. The contract supports the development of the Protected Tactical SATCOM – Global constellation, which integrates anti-jam capabilities through small GEO satellites and commercial-derived designs.
In September 2025, Viasat secured a Space Systems Command contract to build anti‑hacking encryption systems for US Space Force satellites to boost secure links.
By December 2025, L3Harris was chosen to upgrade the US Marine Corps’ satellite communications terminals that would improve data throughput and enable access to multiple satellite orbits in line with Joint All-Domain Command and Control objectives.
