The Space Development Agency (SDA) of the U.S. Space Force has awarded $3.5 billion in contracts to four major defense contractors, marking a significant step forward in the development of its missile warning and tracking satellite constellation. This initiative involves the production of 72 new satellites, which will contribute to the agency’s expanding low-Earth orbit constellation aimed at enhancing missile warning and defense capabilities.
Announced on December 19, the contracts will see Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, L3Harris, and Rocket Lab each tasked with producing 18 satellites for what is designated as Tranche 3. The financial breakdown reveals that Lockheed Martin received a $1.1 billion contract, while Rocket Lab, Northrop Grumman, and L3Harris received contracts worth $805 million, $764 million, and $843 million, respectively.
The SDA’s ongoing project, known as the Proliferated Space Warfighter Architecture (PWSA), aims to deploy a constellation of satellites that will facilitate data transport and significantly improve missile warning and defense capabilities in low-Earth orbit. The agency is strategically planning to release satellite batches, or tranches, every two years in order to keep pace with evolving threats and technologies.
Currently, the SDA has eight missile warning and tracking satellites as well as 19 data transport satellites in orbit from its Tranche 0 experimental constellation. Furthermore, a campaign is underway to launch an additional 28 missile warning and tracking satellites alongside 126 communication satellites as part of Tranche 1.
The Tranche 3 satellites are expected to enhance the capabilities of the SDA’s tracking constellation, providing improved accuracy and near-continuous global coverage for missile warning and tracking. Gurpartap Sandhoo, the agency’s acting director, emphasized that the addition of these satellites would not only increase coverage but also generate precise tracks critical for missile defense operations. The satellites are on track for launch in fiscal year 2029.
Missile warning, tracking, and defense functions are interconnected missions essential for enhancing national security. Warning sensors notify of missile launches, tracking systems monitor the missiles in flight, and defense sensors gather critical data for interception strategies.
The awards for Tranche 3 were initially anticipated to be announced in two phases, one in October and another in December; however, the process faced delays due to the government shutdown that affected agency funding.
All four companies chosen for this round of contracts have partnered with the SDA previously, albeit with varying degrees of involvement in earlier tranches. Notably, L3Harris is the only contractor to have been selected for every tranche thus far and recently confirmed the transition to full-scale production of advanced missile tracking satellites at its facility in Palm Bay, Florida.
The inclusion of Rocket Lab in this tranche marks its inaugural venture into missile warning and tracking satellite production for the SDA, expanding the company’s role from launch services to satellite manufacturing. Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman’s latest contract reinstates its role in the tracking layer development after participating in Tranche 1.
Lockheed Martin has a longstanding commitment to the SDA, providing satellites for all tranches except for Tranche 0, reflecting its substantial investment in secure networks and satellite production capabilities aimed at enhancing the defense program.
This concerted effort among key players in the aerospace and defense sectors underscores a proactive approach by the U.S. to bolster its missile defense infrastructure, promising an era of enhanced security through advanced technological innovations.