The US military’s plan to modernize nuclear command and control communications reached a new milestone last week as Space Systems Command selected Sphinx Defense to build the ground software that will manage the next generation of strategic satellite links.
The $287M contract covers the mission planning application for the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications program, a software layer that will handle scheduling, allocation and management across Boeing’s upcoming ESS satellite constellation. The new network is designed to replace the Advanced Extremely High Frequency system that has handled strategic communications for the past two decades.
Space Systems Command awarded the deal July 27 through the Space Enterprise Consortium, a Pentagon procurement vehicle that allows faster contracting for prototype projects. Sphinx Defense already builds ground software for several military satellite programs, and the ESS mission planning tool represents its largest single award to date in the strategic communications domain.
The ESS satellite hardware falls under a separate award Boeing received last year valued at $2.8B for the first two spacecraft, with options for two more. The network is engineered to maintain connectivity under electronic warfare conditions, resisting jamming so commanders retain the ability to direct forces during active conflict.
The ground software and satellite hardware contracts together represent a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s strategic communications backbone, replacing Cold War-era systems with modern technology designed to withstand current and emerging threats from advanced adversaries.
