The U.S. Space Force has awarded a $4.16 billion competitive Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement to SpaceX for the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator (SB-AMTI) program, accelerating the development of a space-based sensing network designed to track and target airborne threats worldwide.
Announced by the acting U.S. Space Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) for Space Based Sensing & Targeting (SBST), the contract supports the creation of a persistent global capability to sense and track airborne targets from space. The initiative is intended to complement traditional airborne surveillance platforms, which face increasing challenges from adversaries deploying sophisticated anti-access and area-denial systems.
SB-AMTI is designed as a system-of-systems architecture that combines advanced space-based sensors, secure communications links, and resilient ground processing capabilities. The program is expected to provide the Joint Force with enhanced battlespace awareness across contested airspace while supporting national security objectives.
According to the U.S. Space Force, development and integration activities will begin immediately in support of an accelerated deployment timeline. The initial award is expected to result in a satellite constellation being fielded by 2028, delivering an early operational capability aimed at reducing surveillance blind spots for military commanders.
The acquisition is being executed through a hybrid model that combines the flexibility of OTA agreements with the scalability of an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) framework. The Space Force also established a dedicated SB-AMTI vendor pool intended to leverage both traditional and non-traditional defense contractors and commercial technology providers.
The agency emphasized that SB-AMTI is not intended to rely on a single contractor. Instead, the Space Force plans to issue additional awards over the coming year to expand participation across a diverse industrial base and increase both capacity and capability for future mission requirements.
The award aligns with the broader Space Force strategy of rapidly fielding advanced space capabilities while maintaining competition and encouraging innovation throughout the U.S. defense and space industry ecosystem.
KEY QUOTES:
“By focusing these capabilities to the space domain, we are providing the Joint Force with sustained battlespace awareness of contested airspace. We are beginning development and integration efforts immediately to meet the program’s rapid deployment milestones and address emerging national security requirements.”
“By utilizing this multi-vendor framework, we are capitalizing on established industry capacity and continuously evaluating and onboarding the best tech to field this essential capability at speed and scale. We will not leverage any one single provider; instead, we are partnering with a highly diversified pool of traditional and non-traditional vendors, each bringing various capabilities to support the SB-AMTI architecture, ensuring the Joint Force has access to a strong, competitive industrial base well into the future.”
Ryan Frazier, Acting Space Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Space Based Sensing & Targeting, U.S. Space Force
