BAE Systems wins Space Force contract to build resilient satellite RF terminals
BAE Systems
BAE Systems will build jam-resistant RF terminals for a Space Force data layer spanning low orbit to geosynchronous orbit.
what happened
BAE Systems said Oct. 15 that U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command awarded it a contract to design and demonstrate compact, flight-qualified radio-frequency terminals for a resilient space-based data layer. The terminals draw on BAE's family of software-defined radios, built to withstand jamming, electromagnetic interference and space radiation, and are designed to operate from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous orbit with an open API for precise inter-payload pointing, per the company's press release. BAE said the initial phase covers building, testing and demonstrating prototype terminals in simulated orbital environments; the company did not disclose a contract value.
why it matters
The award adds BAE to the roster of contractors building hardware for the Pentagon's jam-resistant space data-transport layer, the same resilient-architecture push behind the Space Development Agency's Tranche satellites. For satellite-communications suppliers, a multi-orbit RF terminal design BAE says it can scale to production signals where the military's next wave of secure connectivity spending is headed.
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- BAE Systems
- Category
- contract
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 4 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-10-16
- Published
- 2026-10-16 22:03 UTC