The $1.2 billion other transaction agreement from Space Systems Command (SSC) is for Epoch 2 of the Resilient Missile Warning and Missile Tracking – MEO (MEO MW/MT) program. The constellation is intended to track high-speed missiles from MEO and is part of the service’s broader plans to build a resilient architecture of satellites that can detect missiles from multiple orbits — as well as contribute to President Donald Trump’s homeland missile defense effort known as Golden Dome. 

“Epoch 2 is in alignment with the Chief of Space Operation’s top priority to provide accurate real-time information to decision-makers. This allows for additional resiliency in the missile warning and tracking satellite architecture” Lt. Col. Brandon Castillo, materiel leader for the Epoch 2 program office, said in a statement.

SSC intends to develop and launch the MEO MW/MT constellation in phases known as “epochs” that will be delivered every two to three years, with each iteration featuring improved capabilities from previous increments. According to the service, Epoch 2 satellites will include more mature sensors, optical crosslinks, data fusion, mission management and ground communication capabilities.

The contract with BAE Systems comes after the Space Force was forced to delay awarding Epoch 2 by about three months due to the federal government operating under a continuing resolution and resulting budget uncertainty. Despite the delay, the company is expected to deliver the 10 satellites for Epoch 2 — expected to provide initial operational capability to warfighters — in fiscal 2029, according to SSC.

In 2023, the service awarded RTX and Boeing-subsidiary Millennium Space Systems contracts to each build space vehicles for Epoch 1 of the MEO MW/MT constellation, with RTX responsible for three satellites and Millennium responsible for six. However, RTX was removed from the program the following year due to design performance issues and cost overruns.

SSC later tapped Millennium to deliver six more satellites for Epoch 1 to replace RTX’s space vehicles. Delivery of the first Epoch 1 birds is expected during fiscal 2026, according to the service.

The new MEO constellation is being developed at the same time as the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), which will comprise hundreds of missile warning and missile-tracking satellites stationed in low-Earth orbit (LEO). SSC is working closely with SDA and the Missile Defense Agency through a “combined program office approach” to execute the effort, according to the Space Force.

“Delivering these critical Missile Warning and Tracking capabilities on rapid timelines in a collaborative approach with MDA and SDA is a big win for the Nation and our joint forces,” Maj. Michael DiMuzio, program element monitor and assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration, said in a statement.

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The service in recent months has been doing market research to inform its pursuit of a “multi-domain artillery cannon” (MDAC) and hypervelocity projectiles (HVP), including via requests for information that were released in July.

“Based on market research conducted in July-October 2024 … the U.S. Army RCCTO believes BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P. is the only responsible source capable of developing and delivering both the MDAC and HVP prototypes within the required schedule; competition of this effort is not practicable and will not meet mission fielding requirements,” service officials wrote in a notice of intent to sole source that was published Dec. 20 on Sam.gov, using an acronym to refer to the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office.

The RCCTO therefore plans to issue a sole-source request for prototype proposal to the contractor as it looks to award an other transaction agreement, according to the notice.

The Pentagon’s Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO), which falls under the Office of the Secretary of the Defense, awarded the firm a $16 million contract a few years ago to mature and demonstrate the lethality of its hypervelocity projectile against ground targets at “extremely long ranges,” according to a company news release.

The contractor has also worked on HVP technology for the Navy.

“The HVP is a next-generation, common, low drag, guided projectile capable of executing multiple missions for a number of gun systems, such as the Navy 5-Inch; Navy, Marine Corps, and Army 155-mm systems; and future electromagnetic (EM) railguns,” according to a BAE product description. “The HVP’s low drag aerodynamic design enables high-velocity, maneuverability, and decreased time-to-target.”

When fired from 155-millimeter tube artillery, the projectile has a range of 43 nautical miles, or about 80 kilometers, and a maximum rate of fire of six rounds per minute, according to a company data sheet.

The MDAC effort, which is focused on air-and-missile defense capabilities, is a new-start project for fiscal 2025.

The technology is intended to defend U.S. military forces at fixed and semi-fixed locations against attack by “a broad spectrum” of drones, fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, cruise missiles, subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles, and “other advanced threats,” according to officials.

In future conflicts, the Army and other U.S. military services — collectively known as the joint force — are expected to be at risk from drone swarms and missile barrages, and they’re looking for new tools to cost-effectively counter them.

“Current air and missile defense munitions require onboard guidance and targeting components that drive high munition procurement costs. In contrast, the MDAC seeks to significantly reduce munition costs and enhance expeditionary utility by developing a 155 mm artillery cannon-based air defense system capable of firing Hypervelocity projectiles (HVP)s, integrated into a wheeled platform. The HVP will communicate with off-board sensors that track both the HVP and the threat and complete the interception of the target. The MDAC will interface with an external GFP Command and Control Battle Manager (C2BM) and the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS),” Army officials wrote in an RFI released in July.

The term “hypervelocity” refers to speeds of Mach 5 — about 3,836 miles per hour — or higher.

According to a Congressional Research Service report, a gun-launched HVP had an estimated unit procurement cost of about $85,000 in 2018. In comparison, some U.S. military interceptors for air-and-missile defense cost millions of dollars.

The RCCTO has a requirement to develop and deliver a “full” MDAC weapon system battery by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027 and carry out an operational demonstration in fiscal 2028.

That delivery is expected to include eight multi-domain artillery cannons, four multi-function precision radars (MFPR), two multi-domain battle managers (MDBM), and at least 144 hypervelocity projectiles, according to an RFI.

The HVP must be capable of supporting a launcher environment with peak pressures and setback greater than current surface-to-surface artillery; interface with government-provided off-board sensors that track both the HVP and threat to complete the interception of a target; interface with an inductive data transmission device to receive pre-launch mission data; enable rapid first-round response time and high rate of fire; maintain projectile maneuverability through interception of target; minimize the minimum required time of flight to intercept targets; maximize the lethal effects against threat systems; enable a rapid ammunition resupply time via manual and automated means; and demonstrate supportability, safety, and cybersecurity characteristics in the projectile design, among other requirements, officials noted in an RFI.

The Army plans to spend about $646 million total on the MDAC system project in fiscal 2025-2027 leading up to the demo, according to budget documents.

“The MDACS program will utilize streamlined acquisition methods to rapidly prototype the capability. It will leverage existing prototypes from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) to refine requirements and address Army and Joint Force concepts. Throughout the developmental effort, Soldier touchpoints will gather feedback for Army requirements generation and prototype maturation. MDACS will use the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) and conduct a series of flight tests culminating in a battery-level operational assessment … in FY 2028,” per the budget documents.

Once the demo is concluded, the prototype weapon system is intended to be delivered to a “unit of action” supporting “multi-domain operations” as a “residual combat capability.” The prototype will also inform an “enduring capability requirement,” a program-of-record decision and future acquisition activities, officials wrote.

A BAE Systems media relations official did not respond to a request for comment.

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Contractor BAE Systems delivered the first 10 airframes to the Air Force last September for system developmental testing, but this recent delivery marks the first system ready for pilot training. The platform is designed to jam enemy systems.

“For a pilot, there is nothing better than picking up a brand new aircraft from the factory and delivering it to the warfighters. For those of you who are going to get to fly it, it’s going to be amazing,” Gen. Ken Wilsbach, commander of Air Combat Command said in a statement. “We are on the cusp of delivering advanced capability, especially in electronic combat, and today is an exciting day for Air Combat Command.”

The delivery marks a key milestone in the Air Force’s journey to modernize its capabilities in the electromagnetic spectrum for so-called great power competition against sophisticated nation-states like China and Russia. While the legacy EC-130H Compass Call provided important capabilities such as message delivery from an information operations standpoint and jammed improvised explosive devices during the global war on terror, the threat in the electromagnetic spectrum has increased exponentially in recent years.

The Air Force decided to revamp the system with improved capability and a smaller Gulfstream G550 airframe — initially calling it the EC-37B Compass Call until is was redesignated the EA-37B Compass Call in October 2023 to better articulate its electronic attack mission. The new airframe provides increased range, speed and agility versus the larger legacy platform. Additionally, technology refreshes and a software baseline make the jamming capability much more lethal as it can process many more and diverse targets than its predecessor.

It is expected to be a critical tool in the joint force’s arsenal — alongside other airborne electronic attack platforms such as the Navy’s Next Generation Jammer program — denying adversary tactical networks and information ecosystems.

Notably, the Compass Call degrades and disrupts adversary communications, information processing, navigation, radar systems and radio-controlled threats while also employing offensive counter-information and electromagnetic attack capabilities, the Air Force said.

“The EA-37B is the right choice right now because as we continue to pivot toward Great Power Competition, we have adversaries that are developing long-range kill chain ecosystems and anti-access area denial capabilities,” Lt. Gen. Thomas Hensley, commander of 16th Air Force, the service’s information warfare command, said in a statement. “The Compass Call will allow us to do things in the non-kinetic spectrum as well as the electromagnetic spectrum to give us the advantage and not them.”

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The Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) completed initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) with the Air Force, its manufacturer BAE said.

“EPAWSS was designed for upgradeability and rapid capability insertion,” Amy Nesbitt, EPAWSS program manager at the company, said in a statement. “We’re using agile software development to provide iterative upgrades to fielded EW systems — allowing our customers to defeat future electromagnetic threats.”

With advances in enemy sensing, radar and jamming tools, U.S. assets must be able to better protect themselves and jam enemy platforms.

EPAWSS provides full spectrum electronic warfare capabilities to include radar warning, geolocation, situational awareness and self-protection, all of which ultimately enable deeper penetration into battlespaces protected by advanced integrated air defense systems.

“EPAWSS is a leap in technology, improving the lethality and combat capabilities of the F-15E and F-15EX in contested, degraded environments against advanced threats,” Maj. Bryant “Jager” Baum, EPAWSS test director for the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, said in a statement. “EPAWSS has set the baseline for EW within the fighter community.”

The system was recently demonstrated at Northern Edge 23, an Indo-Pacific Command-focused exercise involving the joint services to focus on interoperability in a realistic scenario, showcasing EPAWSS’ discrimination electronic warfare capabilities to include so-called cognitive EW. The term “cognitive EW” refers to a system’s ability to rapidly understand new threats and counter them without human intervention.

The event also provided the opportunity to test the system’s prowess in responding to novel electromagnetic threats, BAE said. Northern Edge challenged EPAWSS’ ability to process in-mission sensor data, create exquisite techniques and optimize waveforms in real-time while forcing the system to execute the tasks in a dense, unpredictable electromagnetic spectrum at a theater exercise level.

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These programs seek to provide resilient navigation and positioning data to platforms and dismounted capabilities if GPS is denied or jammed by the enemy.

The award also signifies a critical milestone for the Army toward modernized M-code procurement, which has been directed by Congress. Prior to the award, the Army stated, the program office procured these so-called M-code cards through external contracts leading in some cases to significant passthrough costs and reduced buying power. This IDIQ contract provides the Army access to a direct supply source for the MAPS and DAPS systems.

“Because BAE Systems’ M-Code cards are currently the only tested and validated hardware compatible with MAPS and DAPS, it made sense to partner with them on this IDIQ contract,” said Michael Trzeciak, project manager for PNT within the Army’s Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors. “The contract facilitates procurement of multiple variants of the M-code card – meeting end system compatibility requirements for Mounted and Dismounted APNT solutions now and into the future.”

The contract was awarded through the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization and provides the program office a direct link to the vendor, which will enable more efficient technical support and integration, the Army said.

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National security-focused scientists and engineers conduct a broad range of research and development, testing and other activities via the Defense Department’s High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP). This newly awarded contract will provide Defense Supercomputing Resource Center (DSRC) operations, maintenance and management services in several U.S. regions. 

The program is managed by the Army’s Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). The program’s growing network of supercomputers enable Pentagon officials to process massive volumes of data quickly to aid a variety of initiatives such as designing cutting-edge military weapons, simulating weather patterns, and more.

“This contract will provide services to our five DSRCs, such as system administration and program support,” HPCMP Deputy Director Kevin Newmeyer told FedScoop on Friday.

The envisioned services may enable specialized analysis or software support for specialized programs, for example.

This newly announced contract replaces an expired one and was awarded through a competitive proposal process, according to Newmeyer. 

“We will not be getting any specialized digital infrastructure,” he noted.

The program’s five centers include:

• Navy DSRC, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi 
• Army Corps of Engineers, ERDC DSRC, Vicksburg, Mississippi
• Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) DSRC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
• Army Research Laboratory (ARL) DSRC, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland
• Maui High Performance Computing Center, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii

“We look forward to working with BAE to deliver high-end computing services to [defense science and technology, test and evaluation] and acquisition communities in support of DOD objectives,” Newmeyer said.

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