BAE Systems Aerospace Solutions of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., will continue to support U.S. Air Force Space Command’s global complex of ground-based space surveillance and missile defense sensors in 2013 under a series of contract modifications worth more than $60 million combined, the company announced Nov. 27.
The sensors include both radars and optical telescopes used to detect, identify and track objects in Earth orbit and re-entering the atmosphere. These man-made objects include active and inactive satellites, rocket motors, debris and missile warheads, BAE Systems said.
Under the largest of these modifications, BAE Systems will continue to maintain five space surveillance radars located at Cape Cod Air Force Station, Mass.; Beale Air Force Base, Calif.; Clear Air Force Station, Alaska; Thule Air Base, Greenland; and Royal Air Force Fylingdales, United Kingdom. The so-called Solid State Phased Array Radar System makes more than 40,000 observations per day and tracks over 10,000 objects in Earth orbit, the company said.
BAE also helps operate and maintain a similar facility dubbed Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System, which is located at Cavalier Air Force Station, N.D. The company’s contract to continue supporting this facility is worth $7 million.
Finally, BAE will continue supporting the Ground-based Electro-optical Deep Space Surveillance System under a contract modification worth $5.5 million, the company said. This network, used for optical detection of man-made objects in deep space — which the company characterized as 5,000 kilometers out and beyond — has facilities on Maui, Hawaii; Socorro, Mexico; and the Island of Diego Garcia.
