# Project 656565 — Ground Based SDA

**Program element:** 1206425SF — Space Situation Awareness Systems  
**Project:** 656565  
**Component:** U.S. Space Force  
**Appropriation:** 3620F — RDT&E, Space Force  
**Budget Activity:** 5 — System Development & Demonstration  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206425SF/656565  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206425SF

## Summary

Project 656565 — Ground Based SDA requests $442.3M in FY2027, 34% of the $1.32B requested for program element 1206425SF — a restart: funded in FY2025, zeroed in FY2026, funded again now. 1 R-2A activity decomposes the request, 1 restarted this cycle. Northrop Grumman is the largest named R-3 performer at $401.2M, 91% of the project's FY2027 R-3 total.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 226.3 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 0.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 442.3 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 605.9 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 508.2 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 353.6 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 190.1 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 1206425SF; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project 656565 buys

SSC/SYD 85/BAS is developing the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) (Project 656565) for Guardians across the USSF Space Domain Awareness (SDA) mission, Combined Forces Command, Mission Delta 2, and 20th Space Surveillance Squadron. As a result, the Service will (Pick at least one FY27 Effects, one enduring effect and add optional as needed). Space Domain Awareness (SDA) is one of five core competencies of the Space Force and is the effective identification, characterization, and understanding of any factor, passive or active, associated with the space domain that could affect space operations and thereby impact the security, safety, economy, or environment of our nation. As the foundation for space control, SDA encompasses surveillance of all space objects and activities; detailed surveillance of specific space assets; monitoring space environmental conditions; monitoring cooperative space assets; gathering indications and warnings on adversary space operations; and conducting integrated command, control, communications, processing, analysis, dissemination, and archiving activities. This program element develops, tests, upgrades and fields new SDA capabilities across the space surveillance network (SSN) while companion program element 1203940SF develops, fields, and operationalizes sensor networks and information integration capabilities. Activities funded in this program element (1206425SF) also support efforts such as engineering studies and analyses, architectural engineering studies, trade studies, technology needs forecasting, modernization initiatives, systems engineering, system development, and test & evaluation. Activities may include prototyping and technology demonstration(s). This program falls within the SDA mission area which provides a ground-based radar system that detects, tracks, and maintains custody of deep space objects 24/7 in all weather and through the solar exclusion gap. DARC will augment the Space Surveillance Network as an additional sensor with increased capacity and capability for deep space object custody, providing full global coverage. The FY 2026 spend plan amount includes $0 thousand of discretionary and $281,861 thousands of mandatory (reconciliation) for a total of $281,861 thousands. The mandatory funds continue construction and integration of Site 1, and development of Sites 2 & 3.

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development; Test and Evaluation; Management Services.

## Named R-3 performers

| Performer | $M | Share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total |
|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman | 401.2 | 91% |

> Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations. Shares need not reach 100% — unnamed and government work is in the denominator.

## Activities (R-2A) — 1

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DARC Sites 1, 2 and 3 Operational Capability | 226.3 | 0.0 | 442.3 | restart | [a0](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206425SF/656565/a0) |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### DARC Sites 1, 2 and 3 Operational Capability — RESTART

Complete Site 1 Operational Testing, deliver the Operational Leave-Behind Capability, and begin Interim Contract Support. Continue Site 2 pre-construction activities and begin site construction. For Site 3, the Program Office will initiate engineering and design work. These efforts include execution of critical activities such as…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206425SF/656565/a0

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/1206425SF.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 1206425SF project 656565 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="1206425SF")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*