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Monday, 19 October 2026
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BAE Systems Secures Space Force Contract for Space Radios

The United States Space Force awarded BAE Systems a contract to supply secure software-defined radio terminals for a military satellite data layer.

FTMQ Space, written by our newsroom0 views

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The United States Space Force Space Systems Command awarded BAE Systems a contract to build radio frequency terminals for a space-based data layer. Satellite Today reported that BAE Systems announced the award on October 15, 2026. The uncrewed satellite hardware will feature military-grade security and support operations across orbits ranging from Low-Earth Orbit to Geosynchronous Orbit. [1]

BAE Systems plans to supply a communications solution based on its family of software-defined radios. Satellite Today noted that BAE Systems did not specify the exact program for which the terminals are being developed. [1]

A software-defined radio is a radio communication system where components conventionally implemented in analog hardware are instead implemented through software on an embedded system or computer. The United States Space Force was established on December 20, 2019, as the space service branch of the United States Armed Forces within the Department of Defense. [7][8]

Separately, Defence Industry Europe reported that the United States Space Force stated China and Russia are fielding counterspace weapons that threaten military satellites essential to military operations. [2]

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In short

  • BAE Systems received a Space Force contract to build radio frequency terminals for a satellite data layer.
  • The system will use software-defined radios and operate from Low-Earth Orbit to Geosynchronous Orbit.
  • BAE Systems announced the contract award on October 15, 2026.
  • The Space Force reported that Chinese and Russian counterspace weapons threaten satellites vital to military operations.

Sources

Every paragraph above points to the numbered items it rests on. Read the originals here.

  1. [1]BAE to Build Software-Defined Radios for US Space Force ContractSatellite Today, 2d ago (the report this story comes from)
  2. [2]U.S. Space Force says China and Russia are fielding counterspace weapons that threaten satellites vital to military operationsDefence Industry Europe, 1d ago
  3. [3]BAE to Build Software-Defined Radios for US Space Force ContractVia Satellite, 2d ago
  4. [4]BAE Systems to design satellite comms terminals for US Space ForceADS Advance, 2d ago
  5. [5]BAE Lands Space Force Contract for RF TerminalsExecutiveBiz, 2d ago
  6. [6]BAE Systems Secures U.S. Space Force Contract for Ultra-Compact Resilient Space TerminalsSatNews Publishers, 3d ago

Background

  1. [7]United States Space Force on Wikipedia
  2. [8]Software-defined radio on Wikipedia

Our newsroom writes these reports with the help of software, from the 8 sources listed and nothing else, and checks them against those sources. Facts can still be wrong or move on; the originals are the record. Spotted a mistake? Write to daniel@monsterkong.com.

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