US Space Force has handed out a £195million contract to help in the development of a ground-breaking missile-warning satellite system.
The Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE) program would harness satellites in different orbits around the globe to provide continuous monitoring of missile launches and other potential threats.
Space Systems Command has confirmed a deal with Princeton-based software company SciTe to marry existing and newer systems being used for the project.
Over the past four years, SciTec had secured more than £437m in government contracts.
The FORGE initiative is part of a widescale modernisation push in military technology that includes investments in new ground relay stations built by American defence company Northrop Grumman in both the US and the United Kingdom for the Next-Gen OPIR satellite network, which is still under development.
The stations will provide a communications relay between different satellite networks that detect missile launches, allowing US Navy ballistic missile ships to receive early warnings from infrared sensor satellites.
The Next-Gen OPIR will replace the current Space-Based Infrared System for missile warning, able to provide early warning of missile launches, detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missile attacks, and support national defense efforts.
It will consist of satellites in geosynchronous Earthand polar orbits, offering enhanced sensing capabilities and global coverage.
Next-Gen OPIR will use advanced infrared sensors to detect and track missile launches, including those from hypersonic and other emerging threats from any location worldwide.
In total, four satellites will provide the needed coverage with the first due to be launched this year, although there have been some concerns about potential delays to the program.
