$151 Million OTA Agreement Awarded to Accelerate Missile Warning Capabilities for the Space Force

Insider Brief

• The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) awarded a $151 million SpEC OTA contract to BAE Systems to advance the FORGE C2 program, focusing on missile warning and tracking capabilities.
• The FORGE C2 program aims to develop a prototype for the Next-Gen OPIR system, integrating modern software practices and enhancing cyber resilience for space defense.
• NSTXL, managing the SpEC program, facilitates rapid innovation and collaboration between SSC and industry partners to address the DoD’s critical needs in space technology.

PRESS RELEASE — The National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL), which manages the U.S. Space Force’s Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC) program, has successfully facilitated a partnership between the Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) and BAE Systems to advance the tactical command and control (C2) solution for the Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE) program.

Through this collaboration, SSC has awarded a SpEC Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contract to BAE Systems for $151 million to build upon the critical milestones achieved in Phase 1 of the FORGE C2 prototyping effort. This will deliver a prototype ready for SSC’s Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) system.

“This next award in the SSC FORGE C2 program marks a significant milestone in the DoD’s innovative command and control solutions for missile warning and tracking capabilities in the U.S., and NSTXL is working alongside our SSC partners to address that need,” said Mike Young, Vice President of NSTXL and SpEC. “NSTXL understands SSC’s needs and the importance of having an efficient way of deploying new technologies to support cyber resilience in space. Efficient contracting methods like the SpEC OTA are the optimal avenues for SSC projects like FORGE C2, as they ensure that new tech gets out as quickly and securely as possible.”

While managing SSC’s SpEC program, NSTXL personnel must understand the mission for each SSC program while guiding SpEC members to meet the government’s requirements and objectives. For programs like FORGE, “the overarching objective of this multi-phase effort is the development, integration, and delivery of a consolidated Missile Warning and Tracking (MWT) FORGE C2 prototype, expanding upon existing capabilities,” said Young. This includes the successful integration of Mission Unique Software (MUS) and Applications (MUA) using modern software practices that will lay the groundwork for a C2 solution for the MWT enterprise. It will also provide a FORGE C2 solution ready to support major government test events.

“For our team, having that deep understanding of the government’s mission allows our team to manage the SpEC program effectively and efficiently,” said Young.

The SSC FORGE program plays a critical role in modernizing the U.S. Space Force’s MWT ground system by utilizing industry best practices, Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products, Government Off-The-Shelf (GOTS) products, and Free or Open-Source Software (FOSS). NSTXL has helped steward these efforts between SSC and its SpEC members. FORGE allows for continuous and rapid innovation, easing the integration and scalability of capabilities provided by third-party providers. In Phase 2 of FORGE C2, SpEC partners like BAE Systems are solidifying these capabilities and providing a “runway” through which modern C2 software best practices can be transitioned into government systems.

By leveraging SpEC’s OTA contracting method, SSC was able to take advantage of contracting flexibility and accelerated timelines to bridge legacy and next-generation capabilities with a government-owned, open, and scalable architecture for the FORGE program. SpEC is a consortium sponsored by SSC and comprised of hundreds of top-tier technology innovators in the space defense industry, standing ready to tackle the DoD’s critical needs.

As FORGE C2 enhances cyber resilience, supports continuous innovation, and ensures rapid deployment of new capabilities, it is future-proofing the ground infrastructure and securing the nation’s ability to defend against evolving global threats. NSTXL continues to foster these types of relationships through the SpEC program.