Latest SBIRS missile warning satellite ready for 2022 launch
The SBIRS GEO missile warning satellite is hardened against cyber threats. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed Martin’s SBIRS GEO-6 missile warning satellite for the US Space Force was completed in September 2021.
Lockheed Martin’s sixth Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (SBIRS GEO-6) missile warning satellite has been completed and is now in storage awaiting its expected launch in 2022.
SBIRS GEO-6 is the second military space satellite built using Lockheed Martin’s modernised LM2100 Combat Bus, an enhanced space vehicle that provides resiliency and cyber-hardening against growing threats, as well as improved spacecraft power, propulsion and electronics.
Once launched, SBIRS GEO-6 will join the space force’s constellation of missile warning satellites, equipped with scanning and staring IR surveillance sensors that collect data allowing the US military to detect missile launches, support ballistic missile defence, expand technical intelligence gathering and bolster situational awareness on the battlefield.
The satellite also has a flexible design that reduces the cost of incorporating future modernised sensor suites.
More from Defence Notes
-
![Launch of Gilat Defense targets DoD market]()
Launch of Gilat Defense targets DoD market
The communications company Gilat launched its new Gilat Defense division at the Satellite 2025 expo, with future solutions aimed at US military customers.
-
![Collins MAPS Gen II to equip US DoD watercraft]()
Collins MAPS Gen II to equip US DoD watercraft
US services have already conducted multiple tests with military maritime systems fitted with the system.
-
![OCCAR expects substantial boost in programme numbers “in the coming months”]()
OCCAR expects substantial boost in programme numbers “in the coming months”
Europe’s Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) “has to establish itself…as a centre of excellence for cooperative Defence Equipment Programmes” in the face of growing threats and the need for rearmament, according to the organisation’s chairman.
-
![MBDA CEO emphasises “moment of truth” for Europe as company sees €37 billion backlog]()
MBDA CEO emphasises “moment of truth” for Europe as company sees €37 billion backlog
MBDA CEO Éric Béranger stressed the company’s role supporting European countries with complex weapon systems and focused on boosting production against the backdrop of “shifting” geopolitical alliances.
