The U.S. Space Force is expanding its approach to space-based sensing and targeting with three new industry agreements worth a combined $615 million. Announced Aug. 4, 2026, the awards are designed to accelerate development of Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator, or SB-AMTI, capabilities while broadening the number of companies contributing technologies to the mission.
 |
| Image Used For Representational Purpose Only |
Toc=#(Table of Content)
Three Awards Totaling $615 Million
The Space Force awarded three initial firm-fixed-price Other Transaction Authority agreements under the second task order associated with its SB-AMTI acquisition effort. The combined value of the awards is approximately $615 million.
The selected companies are Rocket Lab, STR LLC, and a third industry partner whose identity has not been disclosed because of operational security considerations. The agreements were competitively awarded from an existing indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity pool of SB-AMTI industry partners.
The awards represent the next stage of an acquisition strategy designed to move promising technologies from development toward operationally relevant capabilities. Rather than placing all emphasis on one technical solution, the Space Force is deliberately supporting several approaches that can be evaluated against different operational requirements.
Why SB-AMTI Matters to the Joint Force
Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator capabilities are intended to provide persistent sensing of airborne moving targets from space. Such capabilities can contribute to a broader military sensing architecture by helping commanders develop awareness of activity across large geographic areas.
The ability to observe moving targets from orbit can offer advantages that complement terrestrial and airborne sensors. Space-based systems can potentially provide coverage across difficult or contested environments while giving commanders another source of information for building a more complete operational picture.
For the Joint Force, the objective is not simply to place another sensor in orbit. The larger goal is to create a resilient sensing architecture capable of delivering useful information under a variety of environmental, geographic, and threat conditions.
Second Task Order Focuses on Diversification
The latest awards form the second task order in the Space Force's SB-AMTI rapid-acquisition effort. While the initial task order established a baseline for the program, the second phase places particular emphasis on two objectives: expanding the industrial base and developing multiple sensing technologies and disciplines.
This approach is intended to reduce dependence on any single technical solution. Different technologies may offer different strengths depending on environmental conditions, geography, target characteristics, and operational circumstances.
By developing several approaches simultaneously, the Space Force can compare their performance and determine which technologies offer the greatest advantages for future missions.
A Broader Commercial Industrial Base
Expanding the vendor base is another central element of the initiative. Space Systems Command is deliberately seeking participation from a wider range of commercial companies to encourage competition and reduce barriers for innovative firms entering the national security space market.
A larger industrial base can provide several potential benefits. More competing suppliers can create additional sources for technology development, manufacturing, and future system replenishment. It can also reduce the risk associated with relying too heavily on a small number of suppliers or production lines.
For the Space Force, maintaining competition throughout the development process is particularly important as space capabilities must evolve alongside changing threats and mission requirements.
Multiple Technologies Strengthen Architecture Resilience
The Space Force's emphasis on different sensing technologies is also intended to make the eventual architecture more survivable and adaptable. A system built around several sensing approaches may be better positioned to continue operating when conditions change or when an adversary attempts to interfere with a particular capability.
Different sensing methods can provide distinct operational advantages. Rather than assuming that one technology will perform optimally in every environment, the acquisition strategy allows the Space Force to evaluate multiple technical solutions and determine how they can complement one another.
This diversification could also complicate adversary planning. A potential opponent facing several different sensing capabilities must account for a more complicated architecture rather than attempting to defeat a single predictable system.
Rapid Development Through Commercial Innovation
The program reflects the Space Force's increasing interest in leveraging commercial-sector innovation to accelerate military capability development. Commercial companies can bring existing investments, engineering expertise, manufacturing approaches, and emerging technologies into national security programs.
Rather than waiting for a single solution to mature before beginning another development cycle, the Space Force is using parallel development to evaluate competing concepts more quickly. This can help identify promising technologies earlier and allow acquisition officials to make better-informed decisions about future investments.
The approach is particularly relevant to space-based sensing, where technology and threat environments can change rapidly.
Building Toward a Resilient SB-AMTI Architecture
The new agreements are intended to support more than individual demonstrations. Space Systems Command says the broader acquisition strategy is designed to field critical capabilities, mature manufacturing solutions, and maintain the long-term competition needed to expand a resilient SB-AMTI architecture.
That means the current awards represent an important step in a longer development process. As the participating companies mature their technologies, the Space Force will be able to evaluate different approaches and determine how they can contribute to an operational architecture.
The strategy also provides a pathway for continued competition as the program grows, potentially allowing successful technologies to scale while maintaining alternatives across the industrial base.
Supporting Future Space-Based Sensing Missions
The SB-AMTI effort illustrates how the Space Force is changing the way it develops capabilities for an increasingly contested domain. Instead of relying exclusively on traditional acquisition models or a single contractor, the service is combining competitive awards, commercial innovation, multiple technical approaches, and rapid technology maturation.
The ultimate objective is to provide the Joint Force with persistent and adaptable space-based sensing capabilities while reducing industrial and technological vulnerabilities. The latest $615 million investment therefore represents not only funding for three industry partnerships, but also a deliberate effort to create a broader and more resilient foundation for future airborne moving-target detection from space.
As these technologies mature, their performance will help shape the future SB-AMTI architecture and determine how space-based sensing can complement other military intelligence, surveillance, and targeting capabilities. The Space Force's multi-vendor strategy is designed to ensure that future systems can evolve rapidly, provide distinct operational advantages, and remain resilient as mission requirements and threats continue to change.
Source: Space Systems Command
