The US Space Force has selected Leonardo DRS to develop a space-based sensor designed to detect, track and target fast-moving threats.
The planned system is intended to provide military operators with more continuous information on difficult targets and deliver useful targeting data faster. The project adds to Washington’s wider effort to strengthen the link between space-based sensing, command networks and military operations.
New Sensor Targets Speed
Leonardo DRS said the prototype will focus on maneuvering or otherwise difficult-to-follow threats while producing information accurate enough to support targeting decisions.
The company has not identified the specific targets involved, leaving open whether the system is intended for spacecraft, missiles, hypersonic weapons, airborne platforms or another category of fast-moving threats. It also has not disclosed the contract value, development schedule, orbital architecture, detection range or spectral bands.
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The technology is aimed at shortening the time between detecting a threat and providing information that commanders can use.
For military systems, finding an object is only one part of the process, as operators also need reliable information about its position, movement and identity. The new sensor is therefore being positioned as part of a broader operational chain rather than as a standalone detection system.
Maintaining a reliable track becomes more challenging when a target is moving rapidly or changing direction. Losing information about a target can force other systems to spend time locating it again, reducing the value of the original observation. A space-based sensor that provides consistent data can help reduce such gaps and support faster decisions.
Space Combat Program Expands
The Leonardo DRS project is part of the US Space Force’s broader Space Combat Power acquisition effort. The service awarded seven Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs), during May and June 2026 and planned six additional awards in July. The initiative was expected to reach 13 awards worth more than $500 million.
OTAs allow the US government to work with industry on prototype technologies through a flexible acquisition process. The Space Combat Power effort is designed to move technologies from development to testing and potential fielding more quickly. It reflects the Space Force’s focus on reducing the time needed to turn emerging technologies into operational capabilities.
Leonardo DRS said affordability and scalable manufacturing are key considerations for the new sensor. The company also highlighted the importance of a resilient production supply chain, indicating that future deployment requirements will involve both technical performance and industrial capacity. Producing systems in useful numbers can be important for distributed space architectures that rely on multiple sensors.
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From Warning To Targeting
The project reflects a broader change in the role of military space sensing. Traditional missile-warning systems were largely focused on detecting launches and alerting commanders, while newer architectures increasingly seek to provide information that remains useful throughout an evolving threat scenario. This places greater emphasis on accurate data, persistent coverage and rapid delivery to command-and-control networks.
Hypersonic weapons illustrate why these requirements are becoming more demanding. Their high speeds and potential maneuverability can reduce the time available for detection, assessment and response compared with more predictable trajectories. Counterspace systems create another challenge by making activities in orbit an increasingly important part of military planning.
China and Russia are both developing advanced space and counterspace capabilities, adding to the wider security environment in which the US Space Force is expanding its sensing infrastructure.
However, Leonardo DRS has not confirmed that Chinese or Russian systems are the intended targets of this particular program. The specific mission and threat set will become clearer only if the company or the Space Force releases further technical information.
Leonardo DRS Builds Experience
Leonardo DRS already has experience in military space sensing, including infrared payload work for missile-tracking missions involving ballistic and hypersonic threats. That background gives the company an established foundation in space-qualified sensing technology as it develops the new prototype. Its previous work may also provide relevant engineering and manufacturing experience for the latest effort.
The company has not said whether the new sensor will rely on infrared technology, another portion of the electromagnetic spectrum or a combination of sensing methods. Details about its planned orbit, field of view, range and data-processing capabilities also remain undisclosed. As a result, the system’s eventual performance and precise role within a larger US space architecture cannot yet be determined.
The emphasis on production is notable because future military space networks are likely to depend on distributed systems rather than a small number of individual platforms. A larger network can provide wider coverage and offer greater resilience if individual satellites are disrupted or unavailable. Affordable and scalable designs can therefore influence how quickly such architectures expand.
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Faster Data For Operations
The main purpose of the Leonardo DRS effort is to improve how quickly space-based observations become actionable military information.
A sensor that can maintain useful data on fast-moving threats can give command networks a more consistent picture of activity in and around the space domain. This can support decisions where timing and information quality are both important.
For the US Space Force, the project represents another step toward integrating sensing with wider command-and-control and engagement networks.
For Leonardo DRS, it expands an existing portfolio of military space technologies into a requirement more closely connected to targeting. The project also shows how defense procurement is placing greater importance on both technical capability and the ability to manufacture systems at scale.
The Space Force has not announced a testing schedule or potential fielding date for the sensor. Further details about its technical design and intended mission will be needed to assess how it fits into future US space operations.
If development meets its objectives, the system would give the United States another space-based tool for maintaining awareness of fast-moving threats and delivering timely information to operational networks.
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