The U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) awarded contracts totaling approximately $1.75 billion to Sierra Space and L3Harris Technologies Inc. to manufacture 36 missile-warning and missile-tracking satellites. The awards support the Tracking Layer of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture and are part of President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile-defense initiative. The satellites are scheduled to be available for launch by the end of 2028.

Contract Allocations and Technical Specifications

L3Harris will receive about $955 million to build 18 Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor-like missile-defense satellites. Sierra Space will receive $798 million to build 18 missile-warning and missile-tracking satellites based on its Horizon spacecraft platform. This platform is part of the Sierra Space Eclipse Satellite Family and utilizes the same proven design used for the company's successful Tranche 2 Tracking Layer program.

Strategic Impact and Executive Commentary

Gurpartap "GP" Sandhoo, SDA director and Space Force portfolio acquisition executive for missile warning and tracking, stated the agency is accelerating the Tracking Layer deployment to provide global, persistent indications, detection, identification, warning, tracking, and defense against advanced missile threats. Dan Jablonsky, CEO of Sierra Space, emphasized that the contract demonstrates the company's capabilities as a formidable player in American national security. Reuters reported that L3Harris has now won orders for at least 70 U.S. missile-tracking and defense satellites, with five already in orbit.

Golden Dome Initiative and Cost Considerations

Trump ordered the Pentagon in January 2025 to build the "Iron Dome for America," directing the acceleration of the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor layer and the development of space-based interceptors. The Golden Dome initiative is estimated at $175 billion and ties into a wider $151 billion SHIELD procurement effort. However, the Congressional Budget Office estimated in May that a national missile-defense system broadly consistent with the order would cost about $1.2 trillion over 20 years.

L3Harris Technologies has received orders totaling $84 million to support the U.S. Army's Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) program. The contract covers the delivery of AN/PRC-158C manpack systems, which provide high-throughput Mobile Ad hoc NETworks (MANET) and highly resilient waveforms to ensure assured communications in all conditions. These systems form a critical part of the program's transport layer, facilitating the movement of information across sensors, shooters, and command-and-control systems.

This latest award represents L3Harris’ second contract under the NGC2 program. It follows an initial $24 million order received in October, bringing the cumulative value of orders under this program to $108 million. The transport layer, supported by these manpack systems, integrates networks, communication pathways, and data-delivery technologies essential for modern battlefield operations.

"Our Falcon Advanced Data Node gateways are battle-tested, fielded around the world and, with their software-defined architectures, ready for the constantly evolving challenges and threats facing soldiers," said Chris Aebli, President, Mission Critical Communications, Communications & Spectrum Dominance, L3Harris.

Key Program Details

The AN/PRC-158C systems are designed to operate as a robust communications node within the Army's infrastructure. The specifications of the systems include:

• High-throughput MANET: Enables dynamic, self-configuring networks for mobile devices.
• Resilient waveforms: Provides assured communications even in contested or degraded environments.
• Transport layer integration: Connects sensors, shooters, and command systems seamlessly.

The communication systems support the requirements of multi-transport gateways necessary to enable NGC2 with features including air-to-ground networking, routing, MANETs, In Line Encryption and Sensitive But Unclassified – Encrypted waveforms.