The milestone paves the way for prime contractor BAE Systems to move towards finalizing the design of the missile warning and tracking satellites.

Lt. Gen. Gregory Gagnon provided new details about how Space Force guardians supported the joint force during Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Absolute Resolve.

The Tranche 3 tracking layer will comprise 72 satellites to provide near-continuous global coverage, with half featuring payloads able to create fire-control data.

The new units — known as System Deltas — will consolidate Space Systems Command program offices for missile warning and space-based sensing and targeting.

The efforts include operationalizing a nascent data-fusion pilot effort and supporting research and development of on-orbit maneuverability technologies.

Space Systems Command expects to continue delivering new capabilities for the Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE) on a yearly basis, according to the program's executive officer.

“We’ve got to be able to see and detect further out, and that’s what we’re doing. Everything that we do is … threat driven," said Col. Brock…

The Space Development Agency intends to begin publishing draft solicitations for Tranche 3 in early 2025.

Space Systems Command dropped RTX from the Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking — MEO program in May due to cost growth, schedule slips and design challenges.

L3Harris will join Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing subsidiary, and Raytheon Technologies, in developing sensor payloads for the Space Force.