The US Space Force (USSF) granted SpaceX a $4.1 billion contract to build a constellation of birds capable of detecting and tracking airborne threats globally, which signals a shift in how the military conducts battlefield surveillance.

The competitive Other Transaction Authority agreement, announced last week (29 May) by Space Systems Command, covers the space-based airborne moving target indicator (SB-AMTI) programme.

SB-AMTI architecture integrates advanced space-based sensors, secure and rapid communication links, and resilient ground processing.

The deal tasks SpaceX with fielding an initial satellite constellation by 2028, giving joint military personnel an early capability to close what officials describe as dangerous operational blind spots.

The driving force behind the programme is a growing recognition traditional airborne platforms for tracking moving targets are increasingly vulnerable. As adversaries field more sophisticated anti-access and area-denial systems, the Pentagon has concluded a persistent, space-based sensing layer is essential.

USSF acting portfolio acquisition executive for space-based sensing and targeting Colonel Ryan Frazier, said the shift to space gives joint warfighters continuous awareness of contested airspace in a way ground or airborne systems cannot match.

He noted development and integration work is beginning immediately to meet the programme’s accelerated timeline and address pressing national security demands.

USSF has assembled a multi-vendor pool which includes numerous companies selected through the Space Systems Command’s other transaction authority agreements announced at the Space Symposium in April.

The SB-AMTI award landed several days after the USSF confirmed a separate $2.29 billion contract with SpaceX to build the Space Data Network Backbone.

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