{"id":43929,"date":"2025-07-02T17:00:53","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T09:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/pentagon-may-put-spacex-at-the-center-of-a-sensor-to-shooter-targeting-network\/"},"modified":"2025-07-02T17:00:53","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T09:00:53","slug":"pentagon-may-put-spacex-at-the-center-of-a-sensor-to-shooter-targeting-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/pentagon-may-put-spacex-at-the-center-of-a-sensor-to-shooter-targeting-network\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon may put SpaceX at the center of a sensor-to-shooter targeting network"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Trump administration plans to cancel a fleet of orbiting data relay satellites managed by the Space Development Agency and replace it with a secretive network that, so far, relies primarily on SpaceX\u2019s Starlink Internet constellation, according to budget documents.<\/p>\n

The move prompted questions from lawmakers during a Senate hearing on the Space Force\u2019s budget last week. While details of the Pentagon\u2019s plan remain secret, the White House proposal would commit $277 million in funding to kick off a new program called \u201cpLEO SATCOM\u201d or \u201cMILNET.\u201d<\/p>\n

The funding line for a proliferated low-Earth orbit satellite communications network hasn\u2019t appeared in a Pentagon budget before, but plans for MILNET already exist in a different form. Meanwhile, the budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 would eliminate funding for a new tranche of data relay satellites from the Space Development Agency. The pLEO SATCOM or MILNET program would replace them, providing crucial support for the Trump administration\u2019s proposed Golden Dome missile defense shield.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to look at what are the other avenues to deliver potentially a commercial proliferated low-Earth orbit constellation,\u201d Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, told senators last week. \u201cSo, we are simply looking at alternatives as we look to the future as to what\u2019s the best way to scale this up to the larger requirements for data transport.\u201d<\/p>\n

What will these satellites do?<\/h2>\n

For six years, the Space Development Agency\u2019s core mission has been to provide the military with a more resilient, more capable network of missile tracking and data relay platforms in low-Earth orbit. Those would augment the Pentagon\u2019s legacy fleet of large, billion-dollar missile warning satellites that are parked more than 20,000 miles away in geostationary orbit.<\/p>\n

These satellites detect the heat plumes from missile launches\u2014and also large explosions and wildfires\u2014to provide an early warning of an attack. The US Space Force\u2019s early warning satellites were critical in allowing interceptors to take out Iranian ballistic missiles launched toward Israel last month.<\/p>\n

,<\/p>\n

Experts say there are good reasons for the SDA\u2019s efforts. One motivation was the realization over the last decade or so that a handful of expensive spacecraft make attractive targets for an anti-satellite attack. It\u2019s harder for a potential military adversary to go after a fleet of hundreds of smaller satellites. And if they do take out a few of these lower-cost satellites, it\u2019s easier to replace them with little impact on US military operations.<\/p>\n

Missile-tracking satellites in low-Earth orbit, flying at altitudes of just a few hundred miles, are also closer to the objects they are designed to track, meaning their infrared sensors can detect and locate dimmer heat signatures from smaller projectiles, such as hypersonic missiles.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The military\u2019s Space Development Agency is in the process of buying, building, and launching a network of hundreds of missile-tracking and communications satellites.<\/p>\n

Credit:
\n Northrop Grumman<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

But tracking the missiles isn\u2019t enough. The data must reach the ground in order to be useful. The SDA\u2019s architecture includes a separate fleet of small communications satellites to relay data from the missile tracking network, and potentially surveillance spacecraft tracking other kinds of moving targets, to military forces on land, at sea, or in the air through a series of inter-satellite laser crosslinks.<\/p>\n

The military refers to this data relay component as the transport layer. When it was established in the first Trump administration, the SDA set out to deploy tranches of tracking and data transport satellites. Each new tranche would come online every couple of years, allowing the Pentagon to tap into new technologies as fast as industry develops them.<\/p>\n

The SDA launched 27 so-called \u201cTranche 0\u201d satellites in 2023 to demonstrate the concept\u2019s overall viability. The first batch of more than 150 operational SDA satellites, called Tranche 1, is due to begin launching later this year. The SDA plans to begin deploying more than 250 Tranche 2 satellites in 2027. Another set of satellites, Tranche 3, would have followed a couple of years later. Now, the Pentagon seeks to cancel the Tranche 3 transport layer, while retaining the Tranche 3 tracking layer under the umbrella of the Space Development Agency.<\/p>\n

,<\/p>\n

Out of the shadows<\/h2>\n

While SpaceX\u2019s role isn\u2019t mentioned explicitly in the Pentagon\u2019s budget documents, the MILNET program is already on the books, and SpaceX is the lead contractor. It has been made public in recent months, after years of secrecy, although many details remain unclear. Managed in a partnership between the Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), MILNET is designed to use military-grade versions of Starlink Internet satellites to create a \u201chybrid mesh network\u201d the military can rely on for a wide range of applications.<\/p>\n

The military version of the Starlink platform is called Starshield. SpaceX has already launched nearly 200 Starshield satellites for the NRO, which uses them for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.<\/p>\n

At an industry conference last month, the Space Force commander in charge of operating the military\u2019s communications satellites revealed new information about MILNET, according to a report by Breaking Defense. The network uses SpaceX-made user terminals with additional encryption to connect with Starshield satellites in orbit.<\/p>\n

Col. Jeff Weisler, commander of a Space Force unit called Delta 8, said MILNET will comprise some 480 satellites operated by SpaceX but overseen by a military mission director \u201cwho communicates to the contracted workforce to execute operations at the timing and tempo of warfighting.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Space Force has separate contracts with SpaceX to use the commercial Starlink service. MILNET\u2019s dedicated constellation of more secure Starshield satellites is separate from Starlink, which now has more 7,000 satellites in space.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are completely relooking at how we\u2019re going to operate that constellation of capabilities for the joint force, which is going to be significant because we\u2019ve never had a DoD hybrid mesh network at LEO,\u201d Weisler said last month.<\/p>\n

So, the Pentagon already relies on SpaceX\u2019s communication services, not to mention the company\u2019s position as the leading launch provider for Space Force and NRO satellites. With MILNET\u2019s new role as a potential replacement for the Space Development Agency\u2019s data relay network, SpaceX\u2019s satellites would become a cog in combat operations.<\/p>\n

,<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of Space Operations in the US Space Force, looks on before testifying before a House Defense Subcommittee on May 6, 2025.<\/p>\n

Credit:
\n Brendan Smialowski\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

The data transport layer, whether it\u2019s SDA\u2019s architecture or a commercial solution like Starshield, will \u201cunderpin\u201d the Pentagon\u2019s planned Golden Dome missile defense system, Saltzman said.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not just missiles. Data relay satellites in low-Earth orbit will also have a part in the Space Force\u2019s initiatives to develop space-based platforms to track moving targets on the ground and in the air. Eventually, all Space Force satellites could have the ability to plug into MILNET to send their data to the ground.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Department of the Air Force, which includes the Space Force, told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the pLEO, or MILNET, constellation \u201cwill provide global, integrated, and resilient capabilities across the combat power, global mission data transport, and satellite communications mission areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

That all adds up to a lot of bits and bytes, and the Space Force\u2019s need for data backhaul is only going to increase, according to Col. Robert Davis, head of the Space Sensing Directorate at Space Systems Command.<\/p>\n

He said the SDA\u2019s satellites will use onboard edge processing to create two-dimensional missile track solutions. Eventually, the SDA\u2019s satellites will be capable of 3D data fusion with enough fidelity to generate a full targeting solution that could be transmitted directly to a weapons system for it to take action without needing any additional data processing on the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the compute [capability] is there,\u201d Davis said Tuesday at an event hosted by the Mitchell Institute, an aerospace-focused think tank in Washington, DC. \u201cNow, it\u2019s a comm[unication] problem and some other technical integration challenges. But how do I do that 3D fusion on orbit? If I do 3D fusion on orbit, what does that allow me to do? How do I get low-latency comms to the shooter or to a weapon itself that\u2019s in flight? So you can imagine the possibilities there.\u201d<\/p>\n

,<\/p>\n

The possibilities include exploiting automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to sense, target, and strike an enemy vehicle\u2014a truck, tank, airplane, ship, or missile\u2014nearly instantaneously.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m on the edge doing 3D fusion, I\u2019m less dependent on the ground and I can get around the globe with my mesh network,\u201d Davis said. \u201cThere\u2019s inherent resilience in the overall architecture\u2014not just the space architecture, but the overall architecture\u2014if the ground segment or link segment comes under attack.\u201d<\/p>\n

Questioning the plan<\/h2>\n

Military officials haven\u2019t disclosed the cost of MILNET, either in its current form or in the future architecture envisioned by the Trump administration. For context, SDA has awarded fixed-price contracts worth more than $5.6 billion for approximately 340 data relay satellites in Tranches 1 and 2.<\/p>\n

That comes out to roughly $16 million per spacecraft, at least an order of magnitude more expensive than a Starlink satellite coming off of SpaceX\u2019s assembly line. Starshield satellites, with their secure communications capability, are presumably somewhat more expensive than an off-the-shelf Starlink.<\/p>\n

Some former defense officials and lawmakers are uncomfortable with putting commercially operated satellites in the \u201ckill chain,\u201d the term military officials use for the process of identifying threats, making a targeting decision, and taking military action.<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t clear yet whether SpaceX will operate the MILNET satellites in this new paradigm, but the company has a longstanding preference for doing so. SpaceX built a handful of tech demo satellites for the Space Development Agency a few years ago, but didn\u2019t compete for subsequent SDA contracts. One reason for this, sources told Ars, is that the SDA operates its satellite constellation from government-run control centers.<\/p>\n

Instead, the SDA chose L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Rocket Lab, Sierra Space, Terran Orbital, and York Space Systems to provide the next batches of missile tracking and data transport satellites. RTX, formerly known as Raytheon, withdrew from a contract after the company determined it couldn\u2019t make money on the program.<\/p>\n

,<\/p>\n

The tracking satellites will carry different types of infrared sensors, some with wide fields of view to detect missile launches as they happen, and others with narrow-angle sensors to maintain custody of projectiles in flight. The data relay satellites will employ different frequencies and anti-jam waveforms to supply encrypted data to military forces on the ground.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This frame from a SpaceX video shows a stack of Starlink Internet satellites attached to the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket, moments after the launcher\u2019s payload fairing is jettisoned.<\/p>\n

Credit:
\n SpaceX<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

The Space Development Agency\u2019s path hasn\u2019t been free of problems. The companies the agency selected to build its spacecraft have faced delays, largely due to supply chain issues, and some government officials have worried the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps aren\u2019t ready to fully capitalize on the information streaming down from the SDA\u2019s satellites.<\/p>\n

The SDA hired SAIC, a government services firm, earlier this year with a $55 million deal to act as a program integrator with responsibility to bring together satellites from multiple contractors, keep them on schedule, and ensure they provide useful information once they\u2019re in space.<\/p>\n

SpaceX, on the other hand, is a vertically integrated company. It designs, builds, and launches its own Starlink and Starshield satellites. The only major components of SpaceX\u2019s spy constellation for the NRO that the company doesn\u2019t build in-house are the surveillance sensors, which come from Northrop Grumman.<\/p>\n

Buying a service from SpaceX might save money and reduce the chances of further delays. But lawmakers argued there\u2019s a risk in relying on a single company for something that could make or break real-time battlefield operations.<\/p>\n

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, raised concerns that the Space Force is canceling a program with \u201crobust competition and open standards\u201d and replacing it with a network that is \u201csole-sourced to SpaceX.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a massive and important contract,\u201d Coons said. \u201cDoesn\u2019t handing this to SpaceX make us dependent on their proprietary technology and avoid the very positive benefits of competition and open architecture?\u201d<\/p>\n

,<\/p>\n

Later in the hearing, Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) chimed in with his own warning about the Space Force\u2019s dependence on contractors. Hoeven\u2019s state is home to one of the SDA\u2019s satellite control centers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe depend on the Air Force, the Space Force, the Department of Defense, and the other services, and we can\u2019t be dependent on private enterprise when it comes to fighting a war, right? Would you agree with that?\u201d Hoeven asked Saltzman.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely, we can\u2019t be dependent on it,\u201d Saltzman replied.<\/p>\n

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said military officials haven\u2019t settled on a procurement strategy. He didn\u2019t mention SpaceX by name.<\/p>\n

As we go forward, MILNET, the term, should not be taken as just a system,\u201d Meink said. \u201cHow we field that going forward into the future is something that\u2019s still under consideration, and we will look at the acquisition of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

An Air Force spokesperson confirmed the requirements and architecture for MILNET are still in development, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. The spokesperson added that the department is \u201cinvestigating\u201d how to scale MILNET into a \u201cmulti-vendor satellite communication architecture that avoids vendor lock.\u201d<\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t sound all that different than the SDA\u2019s existing technical approach for data relay, but it shifts more responsibility to commercial companies. While there\u2019s still a lot we don\u2019t know, contractors with existing mega-constellations would appear to have an advantage in winning big bucks under the Pentagon\u2019s new plan.<\/p>\n

There are other commercial low-Earth orbit constellations coming online, such as Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper broadband network, that could play a part in MILNET. However, if the Space Force is looking for a turnkey commercial solution, Starlink and Starshield are the only options available today, putting SpaceX in a strong position for a massive windfall.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Trump administration plans to cancel a fleet of orbiting data relay satellites managed by the Space Development Agency and replace it with a secretive network that, so far, relies primarily on SpaceX\u2019s Starlink Internet constellation, according to budget documents. The move prompted questions from lawmakers during a Senate hearing on the Space Force\u2019s budget […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43931,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43929"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43929\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}