"Project Air Force."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-145).

Department of Defense decisions on the amount of communications it will own or lease will in turn affect U.S. Air Force investments in new communications satellites. The study team evaluated the effectiveness of commercial wideband satellites across several characteristics defined by the United States Space Command. The cost of buying or leasing commercial systems is then compared with the cost of buying military systems with commercial characteristics. The team found that there is a large projected gap between the military demand for communications and the capability expected from present, planned, and programmed systems. Whether or not the Department of Defense buys commercial-like systems, commercial leases provide a valuable way to increase capacity. Lease contracts should include the rights to switch transponders between beams as needed. Further, it may be more economical to make long-term commitments even if all of the capacity is not used than to underestimate demand and make up the shortfall with short-term service contracts. DoD should make its decisions based on demand for communications, the operational characteristics needed, and the ways in which commercial capabilities might aid the military.

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