Missile Defense for the Modern Age: Scaling Today’s Success While Driving Tomorrow’s Innovation

By L3Harris Technologies

In an age where hypersonic missiles can travel at speeds exceeding one mile per second, the United States faces a critical inflection point in national security. These advanced weapons, combining unprecedented speed and maneuverability, represent a new class of threats that can evade traditional defense systems.

Our adversaries are forging ahead, aggressively building out their hypersonic capabilities. Russia has reportedly deployed these types of weapons in Ukraine, while China continues to expand what is already the world's largest hypersonic weapons arsenal.

In the face of this rapidly evolving threat landscape, it’s encouraging to see the U.S. take decisive action. President Trump's recent executive order to accelerate the development of a Golden Dome for America is, in our view, a proportionate response to a catastrophic threat.

The president’s directive gives us one North Star, but getting there will require the entire national defense ecosystem – including government, the defense industry and commercial technology companies – to work together on multiple fronts.

Modern missile warning and defense has fundamentally changed. In addition to looking up from Earth to track threats, we also need eyes in space looking down. This means we need to rapidly scale up proven space-based sensors and tracking systems, while simultaneously developing new capabilities that harness artificial intelligence (AI) and commercial technologies to build a more responsive, interconnected defense network.

The good news is that the defense industry is primed to execute on this dual-track approach. We have the capabilities and capacity to both scale proven technologies and accelerate innovation. Government needs to compress development cycles and fast-track deployment.

Building on what works

The first step forward is to proliferate proven, precision fire-control sensing. L3Harris’ missile defense capabilities connect sensors to shooters through resilient communications, enabling missile defense and next-generation kill webs.

In 2024, L3Harris launched the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) and the Space Development Agency's (SDA) Tranche 0 Tracking Layer satellites. These proven on-orbit advanced space satellites detect, track, and provide engagement options to protect the nation from missile attacks – at a fraction of the cost of legacy space architectures.

The recent executive order calls for acceleration of HBTSS, which will provide an early win by delivering much-needed sensing capability to inform engagement. L3Harris has shown that the technology works, the manufacturing capabilities exist, and we're ready to scale production to meet urgent needs.

Additionally, for SDA's Tranche 1 Tracking Layer, we've moved into production after successfully completing the Critical Design Review and Production Readiness Review. For SDA's Tranche 2 Tracking Layer, we recently completed the Preliminary Design Review, demonstrating our ability to continue to meet key milestones.

Investing in American manufacturing

To enable additional kill-chain innovations and expand production, we need a significant expansion of American manufacturing capacity. At L3Harris, we’ve already begun this transformation, exemplified by our significant investments in new production facilities. This month will celebrate the grand opening of our expanded Satellite Payload Center of Excellence in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In addition, our new satellite integration facility on our campus in Palm Bay, Florida, will be at full operational capacity this summer. These facilities will increase our capability and scale to produce satellites and sensor payloads.

To support the increased demand for kinetic effects to counter missile threats, we’re also increasing rocket propulsion manufacturing capacity at several of our facilities. We are building four new solid rocket motor at our Camden, Arkansas location, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense. L3Harris will also build new facilities to support increased production in Orange County, Virginia, and will transition production of inert components for critical missile systems to Huntsville, Alabama.

Adding new facilities isn’t enough. We also need to invest in robust supplier networks and advanced manufacturing capabilities. L3Harris is focused on cultivating a network of American suppliers who understand the urgency of the mission. Building this network, along with strategic moves like our acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne, puts us in a strong position to quickly scale up production when needed.

Unlocking innovation through new partnerships

Perhaps the most crucial action needed to modernize missile warning and defense is to fundamentally change the defense acquisition system. These traditional processes are too slow to deliver at the speed of today's rapidly evolving threats. We need agile partnerships between government and industry that enable shared innovation, shared risks and faster deployment of new technologies.

L3Harris’ commitment to building more agile partnerships with our customers is already showing results. Our work on the MDA’s HBTSS and the SDA’s Tracking Layer are prime examples. Through the use of Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements, we designed, built and launched five new missile tracking satellites in an exceptionally short timeframe. These non-traditional acquisition models cut red tape and increase flexibility, enabling faster decision-making and development cycles. For years, policymakers at the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill have experimented with commercial-oriented methods like OTAs to quickly procure new capabilities. The time has come to fully embrace commerciality in our defense acquisition system and make it the rule versus the exception.

L3Harris is also showing how partnerships with commercial technology leaders can accelerate defense innovation. Through strategic partnerships with leading innovators, we’re integrating advanced AI capabilities with our sensors and software-defined systems, enabling military operators to make faster, more informed decisions across the missile defense network. Together, we're delivering capabilities that individual companies in the defense technology ecosystem couldn’t achieve alone.

The path forward

As the only prime contractor simultaneously working across the SDA, MDA and U.S. Space Force, L3Harris has demonstrated we can deliver proven capabilities at speed while driving innovation through new partnerships and modern manufacturing approaches.

We're ready to support America's Golden Dome initiative by scaling up production of space-based tracking systems while advancing next-generation technologies. Government needs to match our industry’s readiness with a bold approach that reflects the urgency of the threat.