Contracts for the next-generation Tranche 3, which will replace the earliest Transport Layer satellites, have been paused until the Space Force study is completed, five sources with knowledge of the program told Breaking Defense.
The MILNET contract with SpaceX is being paid for by the Space Force but managed by the National Reconnaissance Office, sources said.
Blending superior optics, advanced stabilization and AI-powered autonomy in a compact and rugged system, ASELFLIR 600 delivers unmatched intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
Ground platform situational awareness is critical as vehicle crew survivability depends upon it.
Command posts that aren’t mobile are vulnerable to attack from electronic warfare and long-range drones.
Expeditionary forces jumping from island to island in the Indo-Pacific need a mobile way to command and control from vehicles, hotels, and homes.
“Just the idea of this being more available and so people can find it and try to exploit it, that's something we just have to bake in and understand,” Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb said of commercial services like SpaceX’s Starlink constellation.
Cybersecurity skills must evolve in near-real time as Zero Day threats continue and AI provides new challenges.