Officials said the accord marked the first government client of Yahsat,
a subsidiary of the state-owned Mubadala. Mubadala has been entrusted with
building a defense industry in the UAE.
Yahsat was contracted to supply the ground terminals and gateway
infrastructure for the UAE military. Officials said the company would also
be responsible for satellite network services.
"Mubadala has demonstrated its foresight in developing this long-term
partnership with the UAE Armed Forces," Yahsat chairman Waleed Al Mokarrab
Al Muhairi said. "And we look forward to supporting their secure and
reliable communications in the future."
Yahsat intends to launch its first satellite, Yahsat-1A, in late 2010
aboard a French space vehicle. The satellite was being produced by a
consortium of EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space.
In 2011, Yahsat plans to launch Yahsat-1B. The company has contracted
with the U.S.-Russian International Launch Services.
"Our system is also able to provide additional reliable satellite
services customized to the requirements of government and commercial
customers across the region," Al Muhairi said.