WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force awarded SpaceX a $4.16 billion contract to build a constellation of satellites designed to track aerial targets from orbit, one of the Pentagon’s biggest bets yet on shifting battlefield surveillance missions from aircraft to space.
The agreement announced May 29 includes the first enhancement of the space-based Air Moving Target Indicator, or AMTI, network. The objective of the program is to detect, track and maintain surveillance of aerial targets including fighters, bombers, cruise missiles and potentially hypersonic weapons.
Space Systems Command said the award, issued through another transaction authorization agreement, is intended to accelerate the deployment of a space-based sensing layer capable of tracking airborne threats on a global basis.
The contract represents an important step in a broader Pentagon effort to shift military sensing tasks traditionally performed by aircraft to enhanced satellite constellations. Military officials argue that satellites can provide broader coverage and greater survivability as adversaries use sophisticated anti-access and area-denial capabilities.
The Space Force has not disclosed how many satellites SpaceX will build, but officials have said the architecture will include an extended constellation in low Earth orbit.
According to Space Systems Command, the initial award is expected to establish a satellite constellation by 2028 and provide the Army with initial operational capability.
The award comes days after the Space Force selected SpaceX for a separate $2.29 billion contract to build the Space Data Network Backbone, a mesh communications constellation intended to transfer data across military satellite networks. Together, the awards give SpaceX a central role in two key elements of the Pentagon’s emerging space architecture: sensing and communications.
Although the Air Force is not preparing to retire its aerial surveillance fleet, military officials increasingly view space-based systems as an essential complement to aircraft such as the E-3 AWACS and E-7 Wedgetail.
“The long-standing approach of using military air platforms to track moving targets continues to face challenges as adversaries develop increasingly sophisticated anti-access, area-denial systems,” Space Systems Command said. “To complement traditional aerial sensing, the need for a layered, highly flexible tracking architecture is clear.”
The AMTI effort aims to provide that additional layer. The system will combine satellites, communications links and ground infrastructure into a network capable of tracking aerial targets from orbit.
Col. Ryan Frazier, acting Space Force portfolio acquisition executive for space-based sensing and targeting, said development and integration work will begin immediately to meet the aggressive deployment timeline.
The Space Force has emphasized that SpaceX will not be the sole supplier. Frazier said the service has established a pool of eligible vendors to compete for future indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity purchases supporting the AMTI architecture.
“We will not take advantage of any one provider,” Frazier said. Instead, the service plans to hire a mix of traditional defense contractors and new commercial space companies.
While SpaceX is currently the only publicly identified AMTI contractor, Frazier said the company’s award establishes initial capability and additional awards are expected next year as the Space Force expands the architecture.
The satellites are expected to be built using SpaceX’s StarShield platform, a government-focused version of its Starlink broadband network. Starshield systems are specifically designed for national security missions and are operated by the US government.
The Defense Department’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal calls for $7.1 billion for AMTI. Budget documents describe the effort as a high-band radar system intended to detect and track aerial targets while expanding coverage from regional areas toward a global capability.
