The US Space Force plans to digitize six legacy ground-based radars to maintain their missile defense and space surveillance operability amid evolving threats.
A request for information notice published by the Department of Defense said that the project aims to extend the service life of these aging capabilities while improving their situational awareness, cutting associated maintenance costs, and addressing obsolescence.
Proposed radar upgrades must use open, nonproprietary systems to support future modifications and maintain vendor flexibility.
The military also plans to incorporate commercial off-the-shelf components to lower development spending, shorten timelines, and minimize technical risks associated with custom-built systems.
Moreover, the radars should also receive existing, developed digital receiver technologies as their baseline receivers.
Participants are invited to submit their proposals by August 2025.
UEWR, PARCS Covered, Launch by 2030
The Pentagon said the initiative encompasses five Upgraded Early Warning Radar (UEWR) sites that have been operational since the 2000s, along with the AN/FPQ‑16 Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS), which has been active in Cavalier, North Dakota, since the 1970s.
Throughout the project, the defense agency will potentially apply a Middle Tier Acquisition pathway to expedite execution, and Other Transaction Authority to prototype works on one UEWR and the PARCS.
A follow-on contract will then be awarded to extend upgrades for the remaining UEWR sites.
The initial operational capability under this effort is set for 2028 for the five UEWR sites and 2029 for the PARCS station.
By 2030, all the ground-based radars are expected to achieve full operational capability.
