SpaceX has landed yet another massive U.S. military contract, this time securing a $4.16 billion agreement with the U.S. Space Force to build a new constellation of satellites capable of tracking airborne threats from orbit.
The new award comes just days after SpaceX was selected to develop the Space Data Network (SDN) Backbone, a separate $2.29 billion project focused on creating a secure, high-speed satellite communications network for the Pentagon.
Combined, the two contracts total approximately $6.45 billion in new U.S. Space Force business awarded to Elon Musk’s aerospace company in the span of a week.
New satellite network to track airborne threats globally
According to the U.S. Space Force, the latest contract is for the “Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator” (SB-AMTI) program, which aims to create a persistent, global sensing layer in orbit capable of detecting and tracking aircraft, cruise missiles, and other airborne threats in real time.
The system is designed to complement traditional airborne surveillance assets, which are becoming increasingly vulnerable as adversaries develop more advanced anti-access and area-denial technologies.
“By focusing these capabilities to the space domain, we are providing the Joint Force with sustained battlespace awareness of contested airspace,” said U.S. Space Force Col. Ryan Frazier, acting portfolio acquisition executive for Space Based Sensing & Targeting.
The first operational SB-AMTI satellites are expected to be deployed by 2028.
How the SB-AMTI system will work
The SB-AMTI architecture will combine space-based sensors, secure communications links, and resilient ground processing infrastructure into what the Space Force described as a “system-of-systems.” The goal is to eliminate operational blind spots and provide combatant commanders with continuous tracking coverage around the globe.
Unlike the SDN Backbone contract, which focuses on military data transport and secure communications for programs like President Donald Trump’s proposed Golden Dome missile defense initiative, the SB-AMTI program is centered on space-based sensing and targeting capabilities.
SpaceX’s growing role in U.S. defense programs
The Space Force also emphasized that it does not intend to rely solely on SpaceX for the broader SB-AMTI initiative. Officials say multiple companies are part of a larger vendor pool and additional contracts are expected to be awarded over the next year as the constellation expands.
Still, the latest award further cements SpaceX’s growing role as one of the Pentagon’s most important aerospace and defense partners. Between Starshield, military launch services, secure satellite communications, and now orbital airborne threat tracking, SpaceX is rapidly becoming deeply embedded in nearly every major next-generation U.S. space defense initiative.
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