Mexico increases its National Security and Defense SATCOM platform

The Mexican Government signed a contract with Boeing worth US $1 Billion for the acquisition of three satellites for civilian and national security purposes.

According to the contractor, the Mexican Satellite System (MEXSAT) will “call for Boeing to design and deliver a complete end-to-end turnkey system consisting of: two Boeing 702HP geomobile satellites; an Orbital Sciences Corporation StarTM 2.4 satellite for fixed satellite services; two ground stations in México, with a spacecraft operations center for network management and operation; and ground-based beam-forming and communications network equipment…”

The satellites will operate over Mexico’s mainland, the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. The ground-control operation centers will be placed in Mexico City and Hermosillo, in the northern state of Sonora.

MEXSAT will serve as Mexico’s main National Security and Defense Communications System for the next two decades.

PS. Besides MEXSAT, the Mexican Defense Ministry is building a Satellite Imagery Intelligence (IMINT) Center around the SPOT-5 satellite platform. You can learn more here: https://mxsecurity.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/the-army-and-air-force-increase-their-satellite-intelligence-capabilities/