Airbus Defence and Space has been awarded a contract by Hisdesat to serve as prime contractor for the development and construction of SpainSat NG-III, a secure communications satellite for defense and government use.

Under the contract, Airbus (OTC: EADSY) will design, integrate, and test the satellite at its facilities. Thales Alenia Space in Spain will lead the UHF and military Ka-band payloads.

The satellite is being developed in Spain and will incorporate X-band receive and transmit active antennas, which Airbus says provide the capability of 16 traditional antennas. The system can reconfigure coverage up to 1,000 times per second and is designed to detect and mitigate electronic interference.

SpainSat NG-III includes hardened features intended to withstand high-altitude nuclear events and electromagnetic pulses, and is built to meet NATO standards for signal intelligence, anti-jamming, and anti-spoofing. Its operational coverage will span North and South America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Combined with SpainSat NG-I, which launched in 2025, the two satellites are said to cover two-thirds of the Earth.

"In today's complex geopolitical landscape, SpainSat NG-III reinforces Spanish and European strategic autonomy by securing mission-critical communications for Spain, NATO, and our allied forces," said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space.

The financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.