Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will upgrade its A2100 geosynchronous spacecraft for the U.S. Air Force‘s Space Based Infrared System satellite program under a modification to a $1.8 billion contract awarded in June 2014.
The Air Force Space Command said Tuesday it issued the modification after Lockheed proposed a framework to increase the technical commonality between the satellite and other space systems as well as address resiliency and obsolescence issues.
The company also seeks to help the military branch save on future satellite acquisitions and make onboard sensor modernization easier through the initiative.
“Implementing the satellite modification at no additional cost to the government reflects a true win-win agreement for the Air Force and Lockheed Martin, ” said Col. Mike Guetlein, program director at the AF Space and Missile Systems Center’s remote sensing system directorate.
The SBIRS Technical Refresh project would leverage electronic subsystems from the military service’s Global Positioning System, Advanced Extremely High Frequency and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite platforms.
SBIRS is designed to deliver missile warning and infrared surveillance data to the U.S. president, defense secretary, and intelligence and military leaders.
