US Space Force to upgrade 8 strategic radar sites to improve detection of ballistic missiles and space threats
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RTX subsidiary Raytheon was selected for the U.S. Space Force Ground-Based Radar Digitization program, receiving an allocation valued at $300 million to $309.5 million to modernize eight strategic radar installations across six domestic sites, Greenland, and the United Kingdom. Jointly managed by Space Systems Command and the Missile Defense Agency, the program upgrades four distinct radar families by integrating digital receivers and a government-owned common architecture while retaining legacy antenna structures. This hardware and software transition addresses component obsolescence, replaces aging analog signal processing, and increases multi-mission capacity across ballistic missile defense, tracking, and space surveillance networks.
Raytheon will modernize eight strategic radars of the U.S. Space Force to improve the detection of ballistic missile attacks, track more missiles and objects in space simultaneously, and deliver faster, more accurate tracking data for missile warning and defense operations. (Picture source: US DoD)
On October 15, 2026, RTX subsidiary Raytheon announced its selection for the U.S. Space Force’s Ground-Based Radar Digitization (GBRD) program, receiving an allocation valued at $300 million to $309.5 million to modernize eight strategic radar installations used for ballistic missile warning, missile defense, and space surveillance. The program covers four radar families: five Upgraded Early Warning Radars (UEWRs), the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS), the AN/FPS-108 Cobra Dane, and the AN/FPS-85 at Eglin Site C-6. Managed by the Space Systems Command (SSC) and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the GBRD will replace aging analog electronics, modernize receivers and processing equipment, and introduce a common government-owned digital architecture while retaining existing antenna structures.
SciTec Innovations received $93.7 million and WildStar $20.2 million, bringing combined contractor allocations to $413.9 million to $423.4 million. Four operational radar prototypes are targeted for the first quarter of fiscal year 2030, with full operational capability planned for the second quarter of fiscal year 2031. The eight radars operate from six U.S. installations, one in Greenland, and one in the United Kingdom. Five UEWRs are located at Beale Air Force Base (California), Clear Space Force Station (Alaska), Cape Cod Space Force Station (Massachusetts), RAF Fylingdales (United Kingdom), and Pituffik Space Base (Greenland). These large, fixed phased-array radars operate in the UHF band and use electronic beam steering to track ballistic missiles and orbital objects, with Fylingdales employing three antenna faces for 360-degree azimuth coverage.
Related topic: US Air Force awards $40 Million contract to rebuild aging Arctic radar line across Northern Canada
The PARCS, located at Cavalier Space Force Station, North Dakota, uses the AN/FPQ-16 phased-array radar originally developed for ballistic missile surveillance and now used for missile warning and space-object tracking, with GBRD intended to introduce additional missile defense functions. The Cobra Dane on Shemya Island, Alaska, operates an L-band AN/FPS-108 radar with a 29-meter antenna containing 15,360 radiating elements, oriented toward the northern Pacific for long-range missile tracking and characterization of ballistic missile tests and objects in space. Finally, Eglin Site C-6 in Florida operates the AN/FPS-85, a UHF phased-array radar with separate transmitting and receiving antenna arrays, originally developed for space surveillance. These differences mean that a common processing architecture developed under the GBRD program must accommodate UHF and L-band systems, distinct antenna geometries, different transmitter technologies, and surveillance missions that range from ballistic missile warning to continuous orbital tracking.
The GBRD+ aims to digitize the complete radar signal chain, extending modernization beyond legacy computers to receivers, transmit/receive electronics, and individual antenna-element control where feasible. Digital receivers convert radar returns into signals that can be processed for beamforming, filtering, target discrimination, and trajectory estimation, while element-level control can improve management of phase and amplitude across phased arrays. Integration must account for element spacing, electromagnetic coupling, phase synchronization, electrical power distribution, and cooling, particularly when adapting a common design to Cobra Dane’s antenna. The PARCS and Cobra Dane present additional difficulties because their traveling-wave-tube-powered transmitters complicate front-end replacement and increase potential downtime. Existing antenna elements, buildings, external communications paths, and networks will remain, while alternative front-end upgrades may be necessary where complete element-level digitization is impractical.
The program also establishes a government-owned Common Architecture Baseline (CAB) using Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) principles, standardized interfaces, and on-premises virtualized computing infrastructure. This arrangement is intended to replace radar-specific processing environments with compatible software, digital receivers, and modular equipment that can be maintained or upgraded by different contractors. Commercial off-the-shelf processors and existing digital receiver technologies are preferred to reduce dependence on obsolete components and specialized replacement parts. An independent Model-Based Systems Engineering validator will assess interoperability within a shared engineering environment, while a Common Architecture Governance Board controls the baseline. Standardization will principally concern computing, processing, and interfaces, since UHF and L-band radars with different transmitter power levels and antenna configurations cannot use identical radio-frequency hardware without adaptation.
Operational objectives include increased detection range, greater simultaneous tracking capacity, improved object classification, stronger electromagnetic interference rejection, and shorter processing delays. Digital signal processing can improve detection of weak radar returns without increasing transmitter power, although performance remains constrained by antenna gain, target radar cross-section, receiver sensitivity, and propagation conditions. Greater computing capacity should allow additional missile and satellite tracks to be processed concurrently, reducing competition for radar resources between warning and space surveillance missions. For missile defense, faster trajectory updates can increase the time available for threat assessment and interceptor engagement planning, while the PARCS is intended to gain a missile defense tracking mission alongside its existing responsibilities.
Space surveillance requirements have expanded as active satellites increased from roughly 2,000 in 2019 to 10,200 by mid-2025, a 410% rise, while the cataloged orbital population exceeded 35,000 objects. Satellites at 400 km altitude travel at roughly 7.8 km/s and complete an orbit in approximately 93 minutes, requiring repeated observations to maintain accurate orbital trajectories and identify maneuvers. Higher radar processing throughput and automated task allocation could increase the number of objects monitored during each surveillance opportunity, reducing manual workload and improving orbital updates. The modernized radars will continue contributing to the U.S. Space Surveillance Network alongside Space Fence, optical telescopes, and space-based sensors, with optical systems particularly important for geosynchronous orbit at 35,786 km altitude.
The GBRD will improve the processing of radar observations but will not independently establish hostile intent or provide continuous surveillance of every orbital region. Space Systems Command issued a Request for Prototype Proposal on April 15, 2026, using the Middle Tier of Acquisition rapid-prototyping pathway and Other Transaction Agreements. Gate 1 establishes common requirements and modular interfaces, while Gate 2 develops competing digital designs and full-system laboratory prototypes within a shared engineering environment. Gate 3 covers installation, testing, and operational acceptance at no more than four radar sites, potentially comprising two UEWR installations, the PARCS, and the Cobra Dane. The remaining three UEWR installations and Eglin Site C-6 would enter a separate rapid-fielding phase following evaluation of the prototypes.
Initial operational capability is targeted for October through December 2029, with full operational capability planned for January through March 2031, leaving five fiscal quarters to complete the remaining installations after the first four reach their milestone. Retaining existing antennas reduces construction requirements but forces new electronics to accommodate legacy transmitter arrangements, power distribution, calibration procedures, and cooling systems. COBRA DANE’s 29-meter antenna and 15,360 elements illustrate the integration challenge, while PARCS and COBRA DANE face additional downtime risks associated with traveling-wave-tube transmitters.
The four-site prototype phase must also demonstrate that contractor-supplied modules can operate within the same architecture without extensive redesign, despite differences between radar families. A further limitation is that Eglin’s AN/FPS-85 will not be included in the proposed initial prototype group, leaving its integration to the subsequent phase. The decisive measures will be verified improvements in tracking capacity, detection performance, processing latency, system availability, and maintenance requirements, together with completion of the FY2030 and FY2031 milestones without disrupting existing missile warning and space surveillance operations.
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Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
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RTX subsidiary Raytheon was selected for the U.S. Space Force Ground-Based Radar Digitization program, receiving an allocation valued at $300 million to $309.5 million to modernize eight strategic radar installations across six domestic sites, Greenland, and the United Kingdom. Jointly managed by Space Systems Command and the Missile Defense Agency, the program upgrades four distinct radar families by integrating digital receivers and a government-owned common architecture while retaining legacy antenna structures. This hardware and software transition addresses component obsolescence, replaces aging analog signal processing, and increases multi-mission capacity across ballistic missile defense, tracking, and space surveillance networks.
Raytheon will modernize eight strategic radars of the U.S. Space Force to improve the detection of ballistic missile attacks, track more missiles and objects in space simultaneously, and deliver faster, more accurate tracking data for missile warning and defense operations. (Picture source: US DoD)
On October 15, 2026, RTX subsidiary Raytheon announced its selection for the U.S. Space Force‘s Ground-Based Radar Digitization (GBRD) program, receiving an allocation valued at $300 million to $309.5 million to modernize eight strategic radar installations used for ballistic missile warning, missile defense, and space surveillance. The program covers four radar families: five Upgraded Early Warning Radars (UEWRs), the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS), the AN/FPS-108 Cobra Dane, and the AN/FPS-85 at Eglin Site C-6. Managed by the Space Systems Command (SSC) and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the GBRD will replace aging analog electronics, modernize receivers and processing equipment, and introduce a common government-owned digital architecture while retaining existing antenna structures.
SciTec Innovations received $93.7 million and WildStar $20.2 million, bringing combined contractor allocations to $413.9 million to $423.4 million. Four operational radar prototypes are targeted for the first quarter of fiscal year 2030, with full operational capability planned for the second quarter of fiscal year 2031. The eight radars operate from six U.S. installations, one in Greenland, and one in the United Kingdom. Five UEWRs are located at Beale Air Force Base (California), Clear Space Force Station (Alaska), Cape Cod Space Force Station (Massachusetts), RAF Fylingdales (United Kingdom), and Pituffik Space Base (Greenland). These large, fixed phased-array radars operate in the UHF band and use electronic beam steering to track ballistic missiles and orbital objects, with Fylingdales employing three antenna faces for 360-degree azimuth coverage.
Related topic: US Air Force awards $40 Million contract to rebuild aging Arctic radar line across Northern Canada
The PARCS, located at Cavalier Space Force Station, North Dakota, uses the AN/FPQ-16 phased-array radar originally developed for ballistic missile surveillance and now used for missile warning and space-object tracking, with GBRD intended to introduce additional missile defense functions. The Cobra Dane on Shemya Island, Alaska, operates an L-band AN/FPS-108 radar with a 29-meter antenna containing 15,360 radiating elements, oriented toward the northern Pacific for long-range missile tracking and characterization of ballistic missile tests and objects in space. Finally, Eglin Site C-6 in Florida operates the AN/FPS-85, a UHF phased-array radar with separate transmitting and receiving antenna arrays, originally developed for space surveillance. These differences mean that a common processing architecture developed under the GBRD program must accommodate UHF and L-band systems, distinct antenna geometries, different transmitter technologies, and surveillance missions that range from ballistic missile warning to continuous orbital tracking.
The GBRD+ aims to digitize the complete radar signal chain, extending modernization beyond legacy computers to receivers, transmit/receive electronics, and individual antenna-element control where feasible. Digital receivers convert radar returns into signals that can be processed for beamforming, filtering, target discrimination, and trajectory estimation, while element-level control can improve management of phase and amplitude across phased arrays. Integration must account for element spacing, electromagnetic coupling, phase synchronization, electrical power distribution, and cooling, particularly when adapting a common design to Cobra Dane’s antenna. The PARCS and Cobra Dane present additional difficulties because their traveling-wave-tube-powered transmitters complicate front-end replacement and increase potential downtime. Existing antenna elements, buildings, external communications paths, and networks will remain, while alternative front-end upgrades may be necessary where complete element-level digitization is impractical.
The program also establishes a government-owned Common Architecture Baseline (CAB) using Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) principles, standardized interfaces, and on-premises virtualized computing infrastructure. This arrangement is intended to replace radar-specific processing environments with compatible software, digital receivers, and modular equipment that can be maintained or upgraded by different contractors. Commercial off-the-shelf processors and existing digital receiver technologies are preferred to reduce dependence on obsolete components and specialized replacement parts. An independent Model-Based Systems Engineering validator will assess interoperability within a shared engineering environment, while a Common Architecture Governance Board controls the baseline. Standardization will principally concern computing, processing, and interfaces, since UHF and L-band radars with different transmitter power levels and antenna configurations cannot use identical radio-frequency hardware without adaptation.
Operational objectives include increased detection range, greater simultaneous tracking capacity, improved object classification, stronger electromagnetic interference rejection, and shorter processing delays. Digital signal processing can improve detection of weak radar returns without increasing transmitter power, although performance remains constrained by antenna gain, target radar cross-section, receiver sensitivity, and propagation conditions. Greater computing capacity should allow additional missile and satellite tracks to be processed concurrently, reducing competition for radar resources between warning and space surveillance missions. For missile defense, faster trajectory updates can increase the time available for threat assessment and interceptor engagement planning, while the PARCS is intended to gain a missile defense tracking mission alongside its existing responsibilities.
Space surveillance requirements have expanded as active satellites increased from roughly 2,000 in 2019 to 10,200 by mid-2025, a 410% rise, while the cataloged orbital population exceeded 35,000 objects. Satellites at 400 km altitude travel at roughly 7.8 km/s and complete an orbit in approximately 93 minutes, requiring repeated observations to maintain accurate orbital trajectories and identify maneuvers. Higher radar processing throughput and automated task allocation could increase the number of objects monitored during each surveillance opportunity, reducing manual workload and improving orbital updates. The modernized radars will continue contributing to the U.S. Space Surveillance Network alongside Space Fence, optical telescopes, and space-based sensors, with optical systems particularly important for geosynchronous orbit at 35,786 km altitude.
The GBRD will improve the processing of radar observations but will not independently establish hostile intent or provide continuous surveillance of every orbital region. Space Systems Command issued a Request for Prototype Proposal on April 15, 2026, using the Middle Tier of Acquisition rapid-prototyping pathway and Other Transaction Agreements. Gate 1 establishes common requirements and modular interfaces, while Gate 2 develops competing digital designs and full-system laboratory prototypes within a shared engineering environment. Gate 3 covers installation, testing, and operational acceptance at no more than four radar sites, potentially comprising two UEWR installations, the PARCS, and the Cobra Dane. The remaining three UEWR installations and Eglin Site C-6 would enter a separate rapid-fielding phase following evaluation of the prototypes.
Initial operational capability is targeted for October through December 2029, with full operational capability planned for January through March 2031, leaving five fiscal quarters to complete the remaining installations after the first four reach their milestone. Retaining existing antennas reduces construction requirements but forces new electronics to accommodate legacy transmitter arrangements, power distribution, calibration procedures, and cooling systems. COBRA DANE’s 29-meter antenna and 15,360 elements illustrate the integration challenge, while PARCS and COBRA DANE face additional downtime risks associated with traveling-wave-tube transmitters.
The four-site prototype phase must also demonstrate that contractor-supplied modules can operate within the same architecture without extensive redesign, despite differences between radar families. A further limitation is that Eglin’s AN/FPS-85 will not be included in the proposed initial prototype group, leaving its integration to the subsequent phase. The decisive measures will be verified improvements in tracking capacity, detection performance, processing latency, system availability, and maintenance requirements, together with completion of the FY2030 and FY2031 milestones without disrupting existing missile warning and space surveillance operations.
Explore More Defense News
• Land Defense News
• Naval Defense News
• Defense Aerospace News
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
