On Sept. 22, 2026, the Space Development Agency (SDA) issued a formal request for proposals (RFP) valued at $369 million to procure next-generation ground communications infrastructure for its missile warning and tracking satellite constellation.
Titled the Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking LEO Ground Entry Points (GEP) program, the contract covers the engineering, installation, system integration, testing, and multi-year maintenance of worldwide ground stations.
PWSA Program Context and Incumbent Operations
The ground infrastructure procurement supports the expansion of the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), a multi-tranche Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation designed to deliver persistent missile warning, tracking, and beyond-line-of-sight tactical communications. The space layer incorporates hundreds of optically linked satellites in low Earth orbit to detect and track advanced hypersonic glide vehicles and regional ballistic missile threats.
General Dynamics Mission Systems holds the primary ground integration contract for the PWSA Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 operational layers, managing baseline ground station software, command-and-control interfaces, and entry terminals.
As the SDA transitions from initial orbital testing to full operational capability across Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 missile tracking layers, the agency requires a expanded network of distributed Ground Entry Points to prevent data bottlenecks, lower latency, and ensure continuous downlinks to tactical warfighters.
RFP Technical Specifications and Ground Network Architecture
The $369 million procurement will establish a geographically redundant ground reception network capable of processing continuous, high-volume telemetry and infrared tracking data streamed from LEO tracking satellites.
- Total Solicited Contract Value: $369 million
- New Facility Construction: Five to eight newly constructed Ground Entry Point (GEP) sites worldwide
- Facility Upgrades: Modernization and hardware retrofits for one to four existing ground stations
- Core Contractor Scope: End-to-end design, site preparation, antenna installation, software integration, system testing, and global maintenance operations
- Primary System Target: Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) missile warning and tracking satellite layers
The distributed layout guarantees that orbiting tracking satellites retain line-of-sight contact with multiple ground entry nodes simultaneously, enabling automated data routing if an individual station suffers operational disruptions or cyber interference.
Threat Environment and Network Resilience Rationale
The expansion of dedicated Ground Entry Points addresses survivability requirements for military space architecture. Legacy defense satellite networks relied on a limited number of high-capacity fixed ground stations, creating potential single-point failures vulnerable to physical attack, electronic jamming, or localized weather disruptions.
By distributing downlinks across up to twelve global GEP sites, the SDA ensures that missile tracking data captured by LEO infrared sensors can be downlinked instantly to theater operational centers and regional air defense units. The multi-region footprint integrates with high-throughput optical ground terminals and S-band tracking interfaces to preserve real-time target tracking for hypersonic defense batteries.
Procurement Schedule and Contract Award Timeline
Defense contractors will submit formal proposals through the end of late 2026, with the SDA expecting to finalize source selection and award the prime integration contract in early 2027. Site survey campaigns, civil construction, and ground terminal installations will proceed on an accelerated schedule to align with upcoming PWSA Tranche 2 launch manifests.
