OneWeb partnership with Leonardo DRS
November 2, 2021
By Chris Forrester
Low Earth orbiting broadband satellite operator OneWeb and communications, defence and security specialist Leonardo DRS have created a new partnership. The pair will now jointly offer a LEO service to the US Department of Defense.
Supported by a global network of gateways and user terminals, OneWeb’s global connectivity platform will provide high-bandwidth and low-latency connectivity to expand Leonardo DRS’s information and technology solution systems, products and technologies to support military and government markets. The partnership will enable expanded connectivity to offer versatile, agile, and capable US government mission support throughout the US.
“OneWeb and Leonardo DRS’s partnership will benefit DoD naval and maritime systems, ground combat mission command and network computing, global satellite communications and network infrastructure, avionics systems, and intelligence and security solutions. Utilising the power of OneWeb’s network, Leonardo DRS can augment its existing delivery of end-to-end Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions that are reliable, resilient, and secure by adding low latency service,” said a press statement.
“Leonardo DRS has been providing broadband services and enterprise IT solutions for close to 20 years. The company specialises in providing mission-critical solutions that meet complex communications requirements. These offerings include multi-domain information systems, network operations, cybersecurity operations, and resilient global telecommunications that integrate secure and reliable backhaul terrestrial networks and cutting-edge satellite service. The company’s key offering, the Leonardo DRS ICT Ecosystem, provides fully integrated, turn-key information technology and global communication solutions tailored to customers’ current and future requirements, so they can focus on their missions,” the statement added.
Leonardo DRS (DRS stands for ‘Diagnostic Retrieval Systems’) is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia but acquired by Italy-based Finnmeccanica (now called Leonardo) in 2008.