L3Harris wins $955 million contract for Golden Dome satellites

Washington has put nearly $1.75 billion behind the next slice of Golden Dome, awarding L3Harris Technologies about $955 million to build 18 missile-defense variant satellites and Sierra Space $798 million for another 18 spacecraft. The two deals are meant to field 36 Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 vehicles as part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture Tracking Layer, a network designed to detect, track and help defend against advanced missile threats.

The White House’s January 27, 2025 executive order on what it first called the Iron Dome for America directed the government to build a next-generation shield against ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles and other advanced aerial attacks, while Golden Dome is a layered missile-defense system for the homeland. The AMDT3 satellites are intended to provide global stereo coverage and persistent warning, tracking, identification and defense, with launch availability expected by the end of 2028.

GP Sandhoo, SDA’s director and Space Force portfolio acquisition executive for missile warning and tracking, said the awards accelerate deployment for the homeland, deployed forces and allies. For L3Harris, the contract extends a program line that began with the Missile Defense Agency’s HBTSS work in 2018 and moved into orbit with four Tracking Layer satellites that helped bring the Tranche 0 constellation to 27 spacecraft. L3Harris now has more than 70 missile-tracking and defense satellites on order, including five already on orbit.

L3Harris completed a $125 million expansion at its Fort Wayne, Indiana, space manufacturing site in April 2025, and later added a satellite integration facility in Florida to speed delivery of tactical payloads. Its AMDT3 satellites carry medium-field-of-view payloads meant to provide fire-control-quality data.