WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force awarded Akima’s subsidiary Five Rivers Analytics a $480 million 10-year contract to support and modernize the Satellite Control Network — a decades-old system of 19 globally distributed parabolic antennas spread across several locations worldwide.
Akima, an Alaska Native Corporation-owned defense contractor, won the contract dubbed STORMS (Satellite Control Network Tracking Station Operations, Remote Site and Mission Partner Support).
The STORMS contract is an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) agreement. This type of contract allows the Space Force to procure services as needed over a specified period. It succeeds the previous $445 million CAMMO (Consolidated Air Force Satellite Control Network Modifications and Maintenance Operations) contract won by CACI International in 2016.
The Space Force in June announced the first task order under STORMS, valued at $205 million, with a performance period from June 2024 to February 2030.
The Satellite Control Network supports the launch, tracking, control, and maintenance of U.S. government satellites, ensuring they can transmit and receive data effectively and remain operational.
In operation since 1959, the SCN is running out of capacity and in dire need of modernization, the Government Accountability Office warned in a report last year.
“Akima plans to integrate emerging technologies to enhance SCN’s operational efficiency and resilience,” the company said in a news release July 25. “This aligns with Government Accountability Office recommendations for improving SCN capacity.”
Five Rivers Analytics, the Colorado-based Akima subsidiary, will be responsible for SCN maintenance, management of transportable assets, cybersecurity measures, routine system administration, and communications security functions.