US Space Development Agency contracts $1.75 B for 36 missile‑tracking satellites

The U.S. Space Development Agency has awarded contracts worth roughly $1.75 billion to L3Harris Technologies and Sierra Space for the production of 36 new missile‑warning and missile‑defense satellites. The awards cover the Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 (AMDT3) program, an expansion of the Tracking Layer within the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. L3Harris will build 18 missile‑defense variant satellites valued at about $955 million, while Sierra Space will deliver 18 missile‑warning and tracking satellites valued at about $798 million. All 36 spacecraft are scheduled for launch by the end of 2028.

The satellites will operate in low‑Earth orbit as infrared sensors capable of detecting, identifying, and tracking ballistic and hypersonic missile threats. They will be interoperable with earlier Tranche 1, 2 and 3 satellites, forming a global, persistent network that provides detection, warning and targeting data for the homeland, deployed forces and allied nations.