Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:IRDM) has been awarded a five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to upgrade the Defense Department's dedicated Iridium(R) gateway. The IDIQ contract has a one-year base period and four one-year options, and has a maximum value of $47 million over the full five-year period.

Under the terms of the contract, Iridium will provide hardware, software and integration services to successfully upgrade the gateway and to ensure the gateway's compatibility with Iridium NEXT, the company's next generation satellite constellation.

"We are honored to be able to continue our longstanding relationship with our most strategic customer, the Department of Defense (DoD)," said Scott Scheimreif, Iridium's acting executive vice president, government programs. "We have been working together for many years, providing critical communications services to military installations and personnel around the world. The upgrades we will make under this new agreement will ensure the DoD's ability to leverage the unique capabilities of Iridium NEXT and to improve and enhance communications capabilities for our warfighters well into the future."

On schedule to begin launching in 2015, Iridium NEXT is the largest commercial space program underway anywhere in the world. Once fully operational, the constellation of 66 low-Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites and six in-orbit spares will extend Iridium's position as a critical communications partner for customers like the DoD, as well as the Company's more than 275 commercial partners and consumers.