Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what enhanced capability does Skynet 6A offer that Skynet 5 does not currently provide.

The primary purpose of SKYNET 6A is to extend and supplement the capability provided by the current SKYNET 5 constellation, prior to the delivery of a new generation of satellites being introduced from 2028 onwards, which will replace the extant ageing constellation.

The design of SKYNET 6A is such that it will deliver a similar capability to that provided by SKYNET 5 spacecraft. However advances in technology will mean that the SKYNET 6A will deliver a higher level of Super High Frequency (SHF) capacity (compared to SKYNET 5 satellites), along with improvements to the security aspects of the spacecraft. SKYNET 6A is expected to be in-service for a minimum of 15 years.