Northrop Grumman Wins $76.7M Space Force Order for UK DARC Site 2
Space Systems Command awarded Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems segment a $76.7 million contract for long-lead hardware to build DARC site 2 in Wales, with delivery slated by 2030. The DARC program provides continuous, all-weather geosynchronous orbit tracking; the first site in Western Australia was completed in December 2024.
1. Space Force Awards $76.7 Million DARC Site 2 Order
In late February the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command placed a $76.7 million order with Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems segment for long-lead hardware to construct Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability site 2 in Wales, with completion targeted by 2030.
2. Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability Program Details
The DARC initiative is designed to detect, identify and track satellites and spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit, offering continuous all-weather surveillance roughly 22,000 miles above the equator; a DARC demonstrator was tested at White Sands in 2021 and the first operational site in Western Australia was finished in December 2024.
3. Planned Three-Site DARC Network and Timelines
The program calls for three mid-latitude radar sites in Australia, Wales and the continental U.S., with the Australian site set to become operational next year and the U.S. location still to be selected for expected completion around 2032.