The US Space Development Agency (SDA) has again awarded SpaceX and L3Harris contracts to manufacture missile-warning satellites, confirming an original decision that was subject to protests from Airbus and Raytheon.
A re-evaluation of the $193.5 million deal for L3Harris and the $150.45 million contract for SpaceX confirmed that the two offers deliver the best value.
The first Tranche 0 Transport and Tracking Layer space vehicles are scheduled to be launched September 2022. The entire constellation will be placed on orbit no later than 31 March 2023, the SDA announced.
Tracking Layer is intended to provide global indications, warning, tracking, and targeting of advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missile systems. It will comprise a heterogeneous constellation of wide FoV space vehicles that provide persistent global coverage, combined with Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) medium FoV satellites that provide a precision global access capability.
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Clavister CyberArmour, an integrated defence cybersecurity system, will be used on BAE Systems Hägglunds’ CV90 platform in deployments with a Scandinavian country, as well as in an eastern European nation.
The tactical satellite (TacSat) is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system and will participate in exercises in 2025.
The airborne three-domain, the two ground-based and the ¼ ATR OpenVPX-based cross-domain systems were engineered to provide real-time security across multi-domain operations.
DARPA’s Mission-Integrated Network Control (MINC) programme was set up to develop an autonomous tactical network and enable critical data flow in contested environments.
Why space is an essential part of modern military capabilities
Defence-secure mixed reality headsets can save hours, or even weeks, of travel time to fix defunct equipment or get subject experts effectively “on-site” where they are needed.
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