Anti-jamming communications payload to be provided for Japan defense satellite by Lockheed Martin
NewsMarch 04, 2026
DENVER, Colorado. Lockheed Martin will provide an anti-jamming communications payload for Japan’s Next-Generation Defense Satellite Communication System being developed by Mitsubishi Electric for Japan’s Ministry of Defense, the company announced in a statement.
Lockheed Martin will develop the payload at its facilities in Colorado, while Mitsubishi Electric will handle final assembly, integration, and test in Japan, the statement reads. The effort is intended to support a domestically produced defense communications satellite for geostationary orbit, the company says. The satellite is planned as a successor to Japan’s current operational X-band defense communications satellite, according to the statement. The new spacecraft is expected to add additional frequency bands to address anticipated growth in communications demand, the company says.
Lockheed Martin says the payload is intended to improve resistance to interference and support interoperability with allied and partner nations. The companies previously signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on geostationary defense communications satellites and will continue to evaluate additional opportunities in Japan and other Asia-Pacific partner nations, the statement adds.
