The MoD has given a more-than £500m contract to Airbus UK to build and launch a new military satellite.
The spacecraft will slot into the existing constellation of secure communications platforms called Skynet, which has gone through five iterations since its inception in 1969.
Skynet-6A is due for launch in 2025.
It represents something of a gap-filler while the MoD seeks to put in place a new, long-term communications capability for British forces.
This major overhaul will affect how troops on the ground, fighters in the air, and ships at sea stay in contact with each other and their command structures.
