Leidos has been chosen by Sierra Space to deliver infrared sensing payloads and associated operational support for 18 new missile warning and tracking satellites.
The satellites will form part of the Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 (AMDT3) Tracking Layer under the US Space Development Agency (SDA), which supports the broader Golden Dome for America national missile defence programme.
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Sierra Space will integrate the Leidos sensors into satellites designed to provide persistent detection and tracking of advanced missile threats, including hypersonic weapons, from low Earth orbit.
These sensors described as flight-proven and equipped with onboard digital signal processing.
According to Leidos, these payloads allow tracking data to be generated directly aboard the satellites, potentially reducing latency and enabling faster delivery of actionable information to military operators.
The company will provide ground support equipment, mission expertise, operations support, and sustainment throughout the AMDT3 programme.
Leidos said the AMDT3 award builds on its existing record, with its payloads already operating in orbit for earlier SDA tracking layers.
The company has supplied four payloads for Tranche 0, which have been operating in orbit since 2023 and is delivering another 14 missile warning and tracking sensors for Tranche 1, 16 for Tranche 2, and two additional missile defence sensors for Tranche 2.
Leidos Defence president Cindy Gruensfelder said: “AMDT3 will build upon proven technologies to accelerate global missile defence capability.
“Leidos has already demonstrated these technologies on orbit, and with Sierra Space, we will rapidly transition that proven capability into an operational missile defence constellation that will help protect the nation against advanced missile threats.”
The inclusion of Leidos technology in Tranche 3 follows SDA’s recent announcement of two contract awards, totalling approximately $1.75bn, to L3Harris and Sierra Space for the deployment of 36 AMDT3 satellites.
Of these, 18 satellites will be equipped with Leidos infrared sensors as part of the collaboration with Sierra Space.
