SDA Eyes T2TL Gamma Satellites Capable of Hosting New Military Communications Payloads

The Space Development Agency is planning to buy 20 satellites that will be used for the Tranche 2 Transport Layer Gamma military communications network.

According to the SDA’s draft solicitation, the satellites will carry Warlock, a new type of communications node that would transmit targeting information and “close future kill chains.” T2TL Gamma is designed to streamline information dissemination by enabling real-time intelligence and rapid decision-making.

The agency is set to issue a final request for proposals in the spring and to choose one contractor to provide all satellites, SpaceNews reported Monday.

T2TL Gamma will be part of the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, which comprises the Transport Layer and the Tracking Layer.

While the PWSA is touted as a space-based system for tracking ballistic and hypersonic threats from space, the SDA wants the network to perform other duties. One of the envisioned capabilities for T2TL is a global positioning system alternative that the agency is currently working on with the U.S. Army.

Derek Tournear, director of the SDA and a past Wash100 awardee, said the SDA will start integrating a GPS alternative into the Link-16 payloads during the interim launch of T2TL.