Space Force Awards $4.16B OTA to SpaceX for SB-AMTI Program

The U.S. Space Force has awarded a $4.16 billion competitive Other Transaction Authority agreement to SpaceX for the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator program. The award, made through the acting Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Space Based Sensing and Targeting, accelerates development of a space-based sensing layer to track airborne threats globally.

The SB-AMTI effort addresses limitations of traditional airborne platforms in contested environments where adversaries deploy advanced anti-access and area-denial systems. It will establish a persistent, global architecture of space-based sensors, secure communications links, and ground processing to deliver continuous battlespace awareness to the Joint Force.

Acting PAE Col. Ryan Frazier said the program begins development and integration efforts immediately to meet rapid deployment milestones. The architecture functions as a system-of-systems that integrates advanced sensors with resilient ground infrastructure and draws on a multi-vendor framework combining OTA flexibility with an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity structure.

The Space Force has created an SB-AMTI vendor pool that includes SpaceX and other traditional and non-traditional companies selected through prior competitive OTAs. Additional awards are planned throughout the coming year to expand capacity. The initial award is projected to field an early satellite constellation by 2028.

Space Systems Command manages the effort as part of its broader $15.6 billion annual acquisition portfolio. The command continues to emphasize competition and commercial innovation to deliver resilient capabilities at the speed required by emerging threats.