Lockheed Martin and Mitsubishi Electric are joining forces to supply an anti-jamming capability for Japan’s next-generation defense communications satellite for geostationary orbit.
Under a signed memorandum of understanding, the US defense giant will develop the payload at its Colorado facilities, while the Japanese firm is responsible for completing the final assembly, integration, and testing in Japan.
The resulting satellite is intended to succeed the current X-band defense communication satellite in operation, expand frequency coverage, and provide interoperability with allies, while strengthening security against interference.
Moreover, Lockheed and Mitsubishi will collaborate to identify opportunities to bring additional geostationary communications satellites to Tokyo and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as evaluate partnership structures.
“We look forward to collaborating with Mitsubishi Electric to deliver a proven, next-generation communications capability for Japan,” said Jeff Schrader, VP, Strategy & Business Development at Lockheed Martin Space.
“We’re excited to offer a solution that can be used as a common payload to global partners looking for protected, anti-jamming defense satellite communications in geostationary orbit,” he added.
Lockheed Martin in Japan
Apart from the space domain, Lockheed has also supported Japan on the seas.
In 2024, Tokyo became the first international customer of the company’s Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP), in which it is set to receive the same advanced shipboard electronic warfare system used by the US Navy for threat detection and identification.
The East Asian country is also building two Aegis vessels — expected to enter service by 2028 and 2029 — to be fitted with SPY-7 radars from Lockheed that can simultaneously detect, track, and engage multiple enemy assets, including ballistic missiles, anti-air weapons, and hypersonic threats.
Last month, Lockheed formalized Japanese IT company Fujitsu Limited as a supplier for a key component in Japan’s Aegis vessel’s SPY-7 radar antenna.
AloJapan.com