MDA Space wins Mitsubishi Electric subcontract for Japan's next-gen milsatcom
MDA Space · Mitsubishi Electric
MDA Space will build the digital payload and antennas for Japan's next-generation defence communications satellite.
what happened
Per Via Satellite, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation selected MDA Space to design and manufacture the digital payload, antennas, and various subsystems for Japan's next-generation defence communications satellite, which will replace the Kirameki-2 (DSN-2) X-band satellite in geostationary orbit. MDA Space's UK facility will develop the anti-jamming, multi-beam digital beamforming payload, reconfigurable in orbit, while its Montreal facility will manufacture and test antenna solutions including an analog repeater before shipping components to Japan for final assembly by Mitsubishi Electric. Japan's Ministry of Defense awarded Mitsubishi Electric the prime contract in February; Mitsubishi's own prime contract is worth 123.5 billion yen, per MDA Space's press release, though MDA's own subcontract value was not disclosed. Delivery is set for March 29, 2030, and the contract was added to MDA Space's Q2 fiscal 2026 backlog.
why it matters
The award extends MDA Space's international defence-satcom manufacturing footprint beyond North America into a major allied milsatcom program, and signals Japan's continued reliance on Western commercial suppliers for critical defence communications infrastructure even as it builds out sovereign capability.
for who
Defence-satcom manufacturers and subsystem suppliers
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- MDA Space, Mitsubishi Electric
- Category
- contract
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 4 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-06-25
- Published
- 2026-08-10 05:34 UTC