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Source: [https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/ast-spacemobile-awarded-prime-contract-120000038.html](https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/ast-spacemobile-awarded-prime-contract-120000038.html)
>AST SpaceMobile, Inc. ("AST SpaceMobile") (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications, today announced that it was awarded a contract for the Missile Defense Agency Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract. This contract encompasses a broad range of work areas that allows for the rapid delivery of innovative capabilities to the warfighter with increased speed and agility.
>The SHIELD program is part of the broader Golden Dome strategy, focused on building resilient, layered protection against air, missile, space, cyber, and hybrid threats from all operational domains. The selection positions AST SpaceMobile to compete for a wide range of future task orders across research, development, engineering, prototyping, and operations of critical Missile Defense Agency systems that support U.S. national security objectives.
>"Being selected as a prime contract awardee for the MDA’s SHIELD program is a major validation of our unique, on-orbit, dual-use technology and our growing capabilities within the defense sector," said Chris Ivory, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Government Business of AST SpaceMobile. "Our innovative low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite architecture, featuring the largest commercial phased arrays ever deployed in low Earth orbit, is inherently scalable and resilient. This SHIELD IDIQ contract establishes AST SpaceMobile as an eligible provider to bid directly on future task orders, enabling us to rapidly align our cutting-edge space technology with the critical needs of the Department of War and other U.S. Government entities."
>AST SpaceMobile’s selection as a prime contractor underscores the growing government interest in resilient, dual-use Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations for integrated national defense, including command and control, battle management, and advanced sensing applications. This award highlights the importance of leveraging American innovation and commercial space technology, in alignment with the U.S. Administration's policies. These policies are explicitly focused on enabling, streamlining, and maximizing the use of the commercial space sector for national security, economic growth, and maintaining global leadership, which will ensure the United States maintains a decisive advantage in the defense domain for years to come.
>AST SpaceMobile is 95% vertically integrated, with all major manufacturing processes under U.S. control headquartered in Texas. The company operates nearly 500,000 square feet of manufacturing and operations facilities and employs a workforce of nearly 1,800 people supported by a technology platform backed by over 3,800 patent and patent pending claims.
>The award was made as part of a list of companies eligible to compete under the program, publicly announced by the U.S. Government on January 15, 2026.
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