WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force awarded a $259 million contract to New Jersey-based software specialist SciTec to further develop a ground system for military missile-warning satellites, the Space Systems Command announced May 6.
The contract is part of the Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE) program, which seeks to build a government-owned ground system for missile warning satellite command and control. SciTec will build an integrated enterprise with FORGE and non-FORGE systems, according to the Space Systems Command.
FORGE is being developed as a government-owned ground system that will provide command and control capabilities for both existing and next-generation satellites responsible for early detection of missile launches.
SciTec, headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, operates a software application development facility in Boulder, Colorado, where much of the specialized missile detection software is engineered.
In addition to this latest award, the company has secured other contracts for FORGE in recent years. In 2022, SciTec won a $272 million contract for data processing applications supporting both legacy Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) and Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) systems.
Additional contracts include $45.8 million in 2023 for legacy SBIRS sensor processing applications and $5 million in 2021 for SBIRS data processing software prototypes.
The FORGE system is designed to support satellites across multiple orbits that provide continuous monitoring for missile launches and other potential threats.
Broader modernization of ground systems
The FORGE initiative is part of a larger modernization push that includes investments in ground relay stations in the United States and United Kingdom for the Next-Gen OPIR satellite network, which is still under development.
In a related development, defense contractor Northrop Grumman announced May 5 it received a contract for new relay stations to be based in the United States and the United Kingdom. This follows its 2023 contract for the Relay Ground Station-Asia (RGS-A) ground terminal in Guam, which is currently under construction.
The RGS-A will serve as a communications relay between different satellite networks that detect missile launches, enabling U.S. Navy ballistic missile ships to receive early warnings from infrared sensor satellites.
