BAE Systems Wins USAF Space Radar Contract

Defense contractor BAE Systems has been awarded a three-year contract extension by the U.S. Air Force Space Command to continue work on its space radar system utilized for missile defense and space surveillance. According to a press release, BAE Systems has been doing maintenance work on the program since 2007. This new contract increases the value of the contract to roughly $540 billion.

The program, known as the Solid State Phased Array Radar System (SSPARS), is comprised of a network of radars which carefully monitor over 16,000 objects orbiting the earth, including man-made objects in space such as active or inactive satellites, rocket parts, and other debris. In addition, SSPARS serves as an important cornerstone of air missile defense and protection against submarine-launched ballistic missiles by tracking objects entering the Earth’s atmosphere.

“The contract extension builds on our strong and successful track record in support of Air Force Space Command,” said Tom White, senior director of Mission Support Solutions at BAE Systems. “This program is a critical part of national defense, and our role ensures that our customer is always ready.”