Ibadan, 27 Augist 2024. – Northrop Grumman Corporation has won the Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) Site 2 contract from the U.S. Space Force. The second site, located in the United Kingdom, continues DARC’s path to become one of the world’s most advanced radars for tracking objects in deep space. This award also follows the previous competitive award of DARC Site 1.
Aiming to be a next-generation ground system enabling security and stability in deep space on a global scale, DARC will consequently monitor objects in geosynchronous orbit 22,000 miles above the equator 24/7 in all weather conditions, providing full global coverage protecting critical U.S. and allied satellites. Furthermore, the radar system will operate in collaboration across AUKUS partners in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
The United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom will host and operate the DARC global network of advanced ground-based sensors in a partnership expanding beyond what individual nations could achieve alone in one of the most critical domains for future security. Traditional ground-based optical SDA systems only operate at night and are subject to favorable weather conditions. As a result, the DARC program will boost the resilience of the space domain architecture through its adaptability to 24/7 monitoring and all-weather conditions making operational surprise exceedingly difficult for adversaries.
Speaking about the contract, Pablo Pezzimenti, vice president, of integrated national systems, at Northrop Grumman, commented, “The DARC Site 2 award expands Northrop Grumman’s support for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Domain Awareness (SDA) capabilities in an increasingly contested domain. This site brings us closer to achieving global coverage of deep space, which is a critical mission for the future security of the U.S. and its allies.”
