【US Orders 72 Satellites, Use "Eyes in the Sky" to Monitor Hypersonic Missiles】
The US Space Force announced a major procurement deal, investing up to $3.5 billion to purchase 72 next-generation missile warning and tracking satellites from four major defense technology companies. These satellites will form an extensive space monitoring network with the capability of guiding interception systems for attacks at the "fire control level".
According to a report by "Breaking Defense", the selected manufacturers include Lockheed Martin, Rocket Lab, Northrop Grumman, and Harris Technologies, each responsible for manufacturing 18 satellites. However, their contract prices differ, with Lockheed Martin receiving the highest amount of $1.1 billion, while another major defense company, Northrop Grumman, received the lowest contract value of $764 million.
These 72 satellites will begin launching into space starting in 2029, forming the third batch of constellations in the US military's space architecture. The US Space Force stated that these satellites will jointly perform "missile warning" and "missile tracking" tasks, with half of them equipped with more advanced sensors, including "medium field of view" cameras.
These high-end sensors can not only detect the thermal signals of missile launches using infrared but also continuously track airborne targets, generating highly accurate "fire control level" tracking trajectories. This means that the data provided by these satellites is not only used for early warning of hypersonic missiles, but can also be directly transmitted to air defense systems to guide intercept missiles to destroy incoming hypersonic weapons. It will provide the US military with near-continuous global coverage capabilities, significantly enhancing the response speed of the missile defense network.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1852476480258060/
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