South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense has integrated Iridium Communications’ global satellite connectivity solutions into the Republic of Korea Army‘s operations.
Iridium said Arion Communication, the McLean, Virginia-based company’s service provider in South Korea since 2015, and MND’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration are facilitating the integration through deliveries of over 1,000 Iridium Connected SAT-PRE devices to the ROK Army.
Arion will manage the devices’ Iridium satellite airtime directly with MND. The devices are multifunctional, handheld, and linked to Iridium’s global satellite communication system, designed to withstand challenging environments.
According to Iridium, its solutions’ secure data exchange and real-time position tracking will help strengthen South Korean military operations.
Iridium CEO Matt Desch, a 4×24 member and Wash100 awardee, cited Arion as a valued regional partner in bringing satellite solutions that help advance military communication capabilities. The Korean military’s use of his company’s technology “is another great example of Iridium facilitating cutting-edge, ubiquitous and reliable communication solutions for defense forces globally,” he said.
Iridium currently operates 66 communication satellites in orbit, with the latest spares launched in May 2023, bringing the total of spares to 14.
