L3Harris completes preliminary design review of 18 tracking layer batch 3 satellites

The schematic diagram of a space satellite released by L3Harris Technologies shows the concept of satellites performing global detection and tracking missions in orbit. The company is building 18 "Tracking Layer Batch 3" satellites with the goal of strengthening global missile warning and tracking capabilities. (Picture: L3Harris Technologies)

[Compiled by Chen Chengliang/Comprehensive Report] The US military’s space missile early warning network is moving forward. U.S. defense contractor L3Harris Technologies has completed the preliminary design review of 18 new missile tracking satellites. After these satellites enter orbit in the future, they will be used to provide near-continuous global missile warning and tracking capabilities.

The European defense website "Defence Industry" reported that L3Harris completed the preliminary design review of the US Space Development Agency (SDA) "Tracking Layer Tranche 3 (TRKT3)". The company said the review confirmed the baseline design of the entire mission system, including satellites, infrared payloads, ground systems, communications and networks.

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The report stated that these 18 satellites will be equipped with infrared sensors and have on-orbit data processing capabilities to analyze threat information in real time. L3Harris said that after deployment, the satellite will become part of SDA’s “Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture” and perform global missile warning and tracking missions.

This design progress is linked to the contract L3Harris won in December last year. SDA awarded L3Harris a contract worth up to approximately US$843 million (approximately NT$26.8 billion) at that time to build 18 batch 3 tracking satellites equipped with infrared sensors as part of a decentralized low-orbit satellite architecture.

TRKT3 is not a satellite project of a single company. SDA signed contracts with L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Rocket Lab in December last year to build a total of 72 batch 3 tracking satellites. The total contract value is approximately US$3.5 billion (approximately NT$112.1 billion), with the goal of expanding global missile warning and tracking coverage.

Compared with the previous batch, the design of TRKT3 also has a larger payload adjustment. According to "Aviation Week", the director of L3Harris said that in order to meet the requirements of near-continuous global missile warning and tracking, the third batch requires major updates to the payload and its performance.

L3Harris said that these 18 satellites have completed follow-up work and entered orbit, and will provide nearly continuous global missile warning and tracking. This capability is part of the U.S. layered missile defense architecture, but the satellites are still in the design and development stages.