L3Harris emerges at head of pack for HBTSS Phase IIa
Contract for L3Harris includes launch and early orbit testing of a prototype satellite payload to detect and track hypersonic missiles.
The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has picked L3Harris Technologies to develop a prototype system under Phase IIa of the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) programme.
Work on the $121.63 million contract is scheduled for completion by 14 July 2023.
A total of four proposals were received. While the DoD did not name the unsuccessful bidders, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin subsidiary Leidos and Raytheon worked in 2020 on HBTSS prototypes under $20 million contracts from the MDA.
HBTSS Phase IIa includes launch and early orbit testing of a prototype payload design for a proposed satellite constellation to detect and track hypersonic and advanced missile threats.
Phase IIa retires technical risk through the demonstration of critical technologies required to track advanced weapons such as hypersonic missiles from space.
L3Harris is also engaged in development of Transport and Tracking Layer space vehicles in a parallel programme.
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