[SatNews] The fifth Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite built by Boeing [NYSE: BA] is providing the U.S. military and its international partners additional access to the fast, secure communications vital to successful missions.

WGS-5, which was launched in May, has completed on-orbit testing and is now being operated by the U.S. Air Force. The second spacecraft in the WGS program’s upgraded Block II series, WGS-5 provides protected wideband communications to users anywhere in its field of view.

"The WGS mission is a force multiplier for the Department of Defense, U.S. government agencies, and our allied partners,” said Lt. Col. Karen Roe, Commander, 53rd Signal Battalion (SATCON). “We are so pleased to have this capability across our formation and thank the Boeing team for their dedication to excellence."

WGS-5 is the first of two WGS satellites launched this year. “WGS-5 addresses a critical need of the Defense Department by increasing capacity and enhancing global coverage, supporting warfighters with communications bandwidth when they need it,” said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems. WGS-6—launched 75 days after WGS-5— is performing as expected and scheduled to complete its handover to the Air Force later this year.