The United States Space Force, the military’s newest branch, has tapped aerospace leaders Boeing and Northrop Grumman for the development of prototypes under its Protected Tactical Satellite-Resilient (PTS-R) program. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to bolster secure military communications, especially in environments where cyber threats and jamming are prevalent.
The PTS-R program, which is poised for a contract award in December, aims to establish a robust satellite constellation that can withstand such adversarial tactics. The anticipated budget for this program in the fiscal year 2025 stands at nearly $350 million, underscoring the strategic priority the Space Force places on resilient space-based communications systems.
In a detailed announcement, a U.S. government notification outlined the scope of the PTS-R system: “The PTS-R System is the space segment of the Protected Anti-Jam Tactical SATCOM (PATS) enterprise, utilizing new, on-orbit payloads with onboard Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW) processing. The resultant contract will provide for two (2) space vehicles, associated ground equipment, launch processing, on orbit testing, and contractor operations.”
Furthermore, the contract includes options that extend to the engineering, manufacturing, production, and operations of the satellites. The choice of Boeing and Northrop Grumman, giants in aerospace manufacturing, underscores the critical nature of the program. Both companies were identified as uniquely qualified to meet the stringent requirements of the PTS-R program. The Space System Command notice highlighted the rationale behind their selection, stating, “It is likely that award to any other sources would result in substantial duplication of cost to the government that is not expected to be recovered through further competition and unacceptable delays.”
Despite the exclusive selection for the PTS-R prototypes, SpaceNews reports that this decision does not exclude other firms from participating in related PTS initiatives. This approach suggests a broader integration of industrial capabilities, which could enhance the overall resilience and effectiveness of U.S. military satellite communications.