Leonardo DRS announced that it was awarded a subcontract to provide Infrared Mission Payloads in support of the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Tracking Layer Tranche 3 (TRKT3), a piece of the U.S. military’s advanced missile defense program.

As the space-based mission payload provider, DRS will design, build, integrate, and test advanced infrared mission payloads to support TRKT3’s accelerated capability to provide global detection, warning, and tracking of ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons. The infrared capability will be used from the earliest stages of an adversarial launch through interception, including delivering precision fire-control sensing data for missile interceptors.

“This award recognizes our innovative best-in-class technology, and continued investment in advanced space-based capabilities for programs such as the TRKT3 mission,” said John Baylouny, DRS’s Chief Executive Officer. “These investments allow our people to push the boundaries of advanced sensing and space payload manufacturing to support a wide range of national security priorities.”

“As the payload provider, DRS is incredibly proud to support this missile defense mission to defend the homeland,” said Jerry Hathaway, senior vice president and general manager of the Leonardo DRS Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems business unit. “This award builds upon our next-generation technologies developed by our innovative DRS space sensing and engineering teams, as well as our expertise in complex space mission payload design and manufacturing.”

DRS is a leading provider of multi-domain advanced cooled and uncooled infrared systems for the U.S. government and multiple allied nations around the world. It has extensive installed mission capabilities across multiple domains, including ground, sea, air, and space. Advanced sensing mission technology is a key strategic focus for DRS as the company brings together its industry-leading multi-domain sensing capabilities, secure communications, and laser technologies mission capabilities for a range of critical efforts, including Golden Dome, Counter-UAS, autonomous maritime fleet protection, and ground combat mounted and dismounted systems.

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