US Space Force selects Texas site for AUKUS radar network

The US Space Force has selected Lake Kickapoo in central Texas as the preferred site for the third and final location of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) program. This facility will complete a trilateral sensor network developed under the AUKUS partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The DARC system is designed to provide continuous, all-weather monitoring of objects in geosynchronous orbit (GEO), approximately 22,000 to 35,000 kilometers above Earth. The network aims to enhance space domain awareness by detecting, tracking, and characterizing small objects, providing protection for critical satellite infrastructure and monitoring maneuvers near allied spacecraft.

The completed network will consist of three primary sites: the Exmouth Peninsula in Western Australia, which commenced early operations in 2025; a planned site at Cawdor Barracks in Pembrokeshire, Wales; and the upcoming Texas installation. Pending final planning approvals, construction at the Texas site is expected to begin in 2027, with full operations projected for 2030. Northrop Grumman serves as the primary industrial contractor for the program.