On October 2, the Space Development Agency (SDA) announced plans to move forward with Tranche 3 of the military’s low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation – the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). Tranche 0 currently has 27 satellites on orbit. Over the next three years, Tranche 1 will launch approximately 160 satellites, and tranche 2 will make up the difference to launch a total of between 300 and 400 satellites. SDA estimates that an additional 200 satellites and associated ground services will be procured under Tranche 3. The agency plans to release solicitations for Tranche 3 of the PWSA’s tracking and transport layers in 2025 for satellites that will be launched in 2028 to replace Tranche 1 satellites that reach the end of their operational service life.
PLANNED TRANCHE 3 PWSA ADVANCES
- Coverage, sensitivity, and accuracy of missile warning, tracking, and defense
- Coverage, resilience, and capacity of tactical data links
- Position, navigation, and timing (PNT) resilience, accuracy of PNT solutions, and distribution of PNT solutions to users
- Mission and network management performance and responsiveness enabled by autonomy
The Transport Layer (T3TL) will improve the PWSA’s data transport and navigation capabilities while supporting the advancement of the PWSA’s Tracking (T3TRK) capabilities by adding capacity to the global mesh network. In FY25, SDA plans to make six awards for T3TL which will be divided into three variants (Upsilon, Sigma, and Lambda). SDA expects to release draft solicitations in FY25 for T3TRK and integration. SDA is working on a PWSA Enterprise Ground component competition, but does not yet know the timing or the scope.
Tracking the budget for PWSA is challenging. No single program activity incorporates the capability. Some portions are under SDA. Others are within the Space Force budget. While SDA is not building and fielding all of the capabilities, it is responsible for the orchestration and architecture of the PWSA and for delivery to the warfighter in a spiral development approach.
The SDA’s acquisition approach is novel. It has been called a constructive disrupter by its proponents and less kind things by its detractors. The premise of its acquisition is very different than anything else the Department of Defense (DOD) procures. SDA publishes its demand signal to industry with a 30-month order-to-orbit timeframe.
With this approach, SDA expects to attract more mature designs that switch some of the development risk from the government and to industry. With more mature designs, industry is more willing to take the risk. So far, this approach has been a win/win for DOD and its prime contractors. While some may grumble that this approach breaks from convention and defies the status quo, it has been successful and it has broadened the net of those in the commercial satellite industry willing to work with the government, and more particularly, with DOD. Tranche 2 saw awards going to newcomers Rocket Lab and Sierra Space who join incumbents Lockheed Martin and L3Harris among others. This suggests there is enough interest by industry to support this new acquisition approach. A positive response to tranche 3 would send a strong signal to DOD that SDA’s acquisition strategy is on the right track.
Another indication this approach is making an impact is reflected by report language the Senate Appropriators included in their bill this year. In a section labeled “Competitive Procurement of Space Systems,” the Committee states it supports open competition and competitive design, development, and production of systems to ensure the most appropriate and affordable product. The Committee specifically calls out the SDA acquisition process that uses iterative tranches awarded to multiple vendors (rather than non-competitive sole source procurements) as one that deserves further exploration.
Additionally, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees reports asked for a briefing concerning ground terminal connections to PWSA and a GAO review of industrial base capacity, respectively.