$398 million will fund Northrop Grumman to develop and build an Enhanced Protected Tactical Satellite Communications-Prototype, with launch planned for fiscal 2030 or later.
Space Systems Command said the award is a firm-fixed-price contract for the upgraded anti-jam tactical communications satellite under an added Middle Tier of Acquisition effort.
The new award builds on the baseline PTS-P program launched in 2021, when Northrop and Boeing both won contracts for the original design.
That earlier program has slipped well past its initial schedule: launches were expected to begin in 2024, but none have started.
With past prototypes delayed, can a new $398M satellite investment deliver resilient communications on its 2030 timeline?
Is the Space Force's pivot to prototypes a faster path to security or a costly detour from a full-scale solution?
Can specialized military satellites still outperform the rapidly evolving capabilities of commercial constellations in a conflict?