ThinKom Awarded SpaceWERX Contract to Provide Containerized Transportable Ground Stations for Resilient MILSATCOM Architecture
ThinKom Solutions Inc. announced it has been selected by SpaceWERX for a Direct-to-Phase II (D2P2) SBIR contract in the amount of $1.9 million to provide a containerized, transportable phased array ground entry point (GEP) to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
ThinKom's multi-beam Digital Array ground architecture to enable redundant, seamless communications and operations in adversarial environments
HAWTHORNE, Calif., Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- ThinKom Solutions Inc. (ThinKom) announced it has been selected by SpaceWERX for a Direct-to-Phase II (D2P2) SBIR contract in the amount of $1.9 million to provide a containerized, transportable phased array ground entry point (GEP) to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
The Air Force Research Laboratory and SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.
The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and ThinKom was selected to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
"In the face of increasingly complex and contested environments, a resilient and adaptable MILSATCOM ground infrastructure is a game changer," explained Bill Milroy, CTO and co-founder at ThinKom. "Through the use of distributed, reconfigurable, and software-defined phased arrays in a Conex shipping container, our warfighters will have reliable and secure satellite connectivity, which is essential for covert operations, forward deployments, mobile broadband, and ground stations. Additionally, the automated failover capabilities and mission continuity offer support in space domain awareness, SIGINT, missile warning, and other secure communications."
"The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of War, or the U.S. government."
About ThinKom
ThinKom Solutions, Inc. designs and manufactures high-performance satcom antennas for a mobile world. Based in Hawthorne, California, ThinKom engineers revolutionary, phased-array terminals capable of communicating over satellite constellations in every orbit. ThinKom’s adaptable antenna systems leverage proven, proprietary, patented VICTS technology to deliver fast, resilient, and reliable broadband to millions of users worldwide. Tailored to the aviation, military, gateway, satellite, and terrestrial mobility markets, ThinKom’s adaptable antenna solutions maximize spectral efficiency and minimize operational expenditure wherever they are put to work.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. Headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, AFWERX employs military, civilian and contractor personnel executing an annual $1.4 billion annual budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.
About SpaceWERX
As the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, SpaceWERX inspires and empowers collaboration with innovators to accelerate capabilities and shape our future in space. Headquartered in Los Angeles, SpaceWERX employs military, civilian and contractor personnel executing an annual $457 million budget. Additionally, SpaceWERX partners with Space Systems Command's Commercial Space Office (COMSO) as a collaborative program. Since it was aligned under AFRL in Aug. 2021, SpaceWERX has awarded over 1,470 contracts worth more than $1.46 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: spacewerx.us.
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