42-satellite constellation will provide resilient, secure communications for U.S. troops operating globally

The Space Development Agency has formerly announced that Northrop Grumman is under contract to develop and build 42 Tranche 1 Transport Layer satellites and 14 Tranche 1 Tracking Layer satellites as part of its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. (Credit: Northrop Grumman)

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) recently completed a critical design review for its Tranche 1 Transport Layer (T1TL), part of Space Development Agency’s (SDA) low-earth orbit network designed to communicate vital information to wherever it’s needed to support U.S. troops on the ground quickly and securely.

The Tranche 1 Transport Layer (T1TL) communication satellites will provide resilient, low-latency, high-volume data transport supporting U.S. military missions around the world. Designed to connect elements of an integrated sensing architecture, the network will deliver persistent, secure connectivity, and serve as a critical element for advancing the U.S. Department of Defense’s vision for Joint All Domain Command and Control.

“We are leveraging our commercial marketplace partnerships to deliver a rapid, affordable, highly effective solution for SDA,” said Blake Bullock, vice president, communication systems, strategic space systems, Northrop Grumman. “Our T1TL solution builds on our decades of end-to-end mission expertise. We are uniquely capable of delivering a credible capability to support the warfighter.”

SDA formerly announced that Northrop Grumman is under contract to provide the agency with 56 satellites, including the 42 communication satellites in the Tranche 1 Transport layer and 14 for the Tranche 1 Tracking layer, which includes an infrared sensor payload. The Tracking layer program recently completed its preliminary design review. Northrop Grumman is also providing the ground system for both its Transport and Tracking constellations.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our 95,000 employees define possible every day.