Lockheed Martin eyes satellite sensor payload providers for next-gen missile warning

Lockheed Martin Corp. has down-selected Raytheon and a Northrop Grumman–Ball Aerospace team to compete to provide the satellite sensor payload for the Air Force’s next-generation missile warning satellite system. This competition will be part of the first-phase contract for the next-generation overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) Block O Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) satellite, which will replace the service’s current Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) expected to be phased out within the next five years. The award includes development scope through critical design review. A final down-select is expected at the end of the CDR phase in 2020.