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Pentagon’s Plans To Track Aircraft From Orbit Accelerated With New $4B SpaceX Deal
TWZ ^ | 29-MAY-2026 | Joseph Trevithick

Posted on 05/30/2026 5:34:14 AM PDT by SpeedyInTexas

The U.S. Space Force has awarded SpaceX a $4.16B deal to help accelerate work on what could be a game-changing space-based air moving-target indicator (AMTI) sensor network. The service says it now hopes to have an “early capability” in orbit by 2028, years ahead of the timelines officials have put forward in the past.

Plans for an AMTI satellite constellation were directly tied to an attempt in the past year to axe purchases of E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft, something the Pentagon has now fully abandoned after Congress intervened. Though the Air Force is moving ahead again with the E-7, which will succeed its aging E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) jets, the end goal remains to eventually push most, if not all, AMTI tasks into space.

(Excerpt) Read more at twz.com ...


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1 posted on 05/30/2026 5:34:14 AM PDT by SpeedyInTexas
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To: SpeedyInTexas

I am surprised we do not have this capability already.

Maybe we do...


2 posted on 05/30/2026 6:50:30 AM PDT by marktwain (----------------------)
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To: marktwain

That is probably new technology that the Biden administration were not able to give to the CCP.


3 posted on 05/30/2026 8:05:11 AM PDT by odawg
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