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Iridium to Acquire Full Ownership of Aireon, Explores New VHF and PNT Payloads

Iridium has announced a definitive agreement to acquire the remaining portion of Aireon it does not already own, consolidating control over the space-based ADS-B air traffic surveillance provider. The move will fully integrate Aireon's global aircraft tracking services into Iridium's portfolio. In a related development, Iridium is also considering new, independent payloads for its next-generation satellite constellation. These potential additions include a dedicated VHF radio service for aviation voice and data communications. Furthermore, the company is mulling a resilient Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) service to provide a secure alternative to GPS.

Official Source: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/05/iridium-to-acquire-aireon-mulls-independent-payloads-for-vhf-pnt/