A Russian-based international organization of states operating a global satellite telecommunications system. It was established in 1971 by the former USSR to compete with Intelsat, and in 2001 had 23 member nations. In 1997, Intersputnik and Lockheed Martin formed a joint satellite-operating venture, Lockheed Martin Intersputnik, and their first satellite, LMI-1, was launched in 1999 to provide telecommunications services to the former Soviet states, as well as to European, Asian, and African subscribers. Intersputnik launched two Express-A-series satellites in 2000 to modernize its system, and in 2004 launched its W3A satellite to serve Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, as well as increasing the European Telecommunications Satellite Organization's (EUTELSAT's) coverage of sub-Saharan Africa. Intersputnik markets and sells EUTELSAT's satellite capacity.