The US Space Development Agency (SDA) has disclosed the awarding of four agreements valued at around $3.5bn to produce 72 satellites for its Tracking Layer Tranche 3 initiative.
These satellites, intended for low Earth orbit, will carry missile warning and tracking infrared sensors alongside other missile defence technologies as part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).
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According to the SDA, Lockheed Martin, Rocket Lab USA, Northrop Grumman and L3Harris Technologies will each provide and operate 18 satellites for the new Tracking Layer constellation.
The companies, based in California and Indiana, received firm fixed-price Other Transaction Authority agreements.
Lockheed Martin’s agreement has a total potential value of $1.1bn, Rocket Lab USA’s is valued at $805m, Northrop Grumman’s is set at $764m, and L3Harris Technologies’ agreement amounts to $843m.
The satellites are scheduled for launch in fiscal year 2029.
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By GlobalDataEach space vehicle will be equipped with an infrared mission payload, optical communication terminals, Ka-band communications payloads and an S-band backup telemetry, tracking and command system.
The Tracking Layer for Tranche 3 will operate with eight orbital planes to increase coverage capability compared to previous generations of the system.
SDA acting director Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo said: “The Tracking Layer of Tranche 3, once integrated with the PWSA Transport Layer, will significantly increase the coverage and accuracy needed to close kill chains against advanced adversary threats.
“The constellation will include a mix of missile warning and missile tracking, with half the constellation’s payloads supporting advanced missile defence missions to pace evolving threats.”
SDA officials noted that each Tracking Layer satellite will be compatible with all PWSA satellites, including those in the Transport Layer, and that they will function jointly through a unified ground system.
The Tracking Layer forms a global network for missile warning and tracking in low Earth orbit by integrating with the Transport Layer’s communications network.
According to the agency, this setup enables direct provision of mission data through tactical data links and allows advanced missile tracking from proliferated low Earth orbit.
The initiative introduces missile defence sensing capabilities within the PWSA to assist with homeland and theatre defence operations.
The PWSA contributes to the broader US Space Force architecture designed for missile warning, tracking and defence coordination across all operational domains.
