US to Upgrade Missile Early Warning Radars

The US Space Force plans to upgrade six early warning radar sites, including UEWR and PARCS systems, to improve performance and extend service life.

The defense-focused account AirPower 2.0 flagged the modernization initiative on the social media platform X.

The upgrade aims to digitize these legacy radar systems, enhancing situational awareness, reducing operating costs, and replacing aging components.

The Space Force is seeking off-the-shelf commercial solutions based on open systems and non-proprietary architectures to enable scalability and avoid vendor lock-in.

The radar upgrade is part of the broader National Defense Strategy and is intended to improve missile warning, missile tracking, and space domain awareness.

Initial operational capability is expected by 2028 for the five UEWR sites and by 2029 for the PARCS site. Full operational capability across all six locations is planned for 2030.

Meanwhile, Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing subsidiary, has delayed the launch of its Epoch 1 missile warning satellites to 2027. The company had originally planned to launch the first six satellites into medium Earth orbit by the end of 2026, but cited component supply issues and testing delays.

The Epoch 1 satellites will form part of a next-generation constellation designed to detect intercontinental ballistic and hypersonic missile launches. Equipped with advanced infrared sensors, the satellites can detect launch signatures and calculate flight trajectories, allowing for rapid data transmission to support early warning and missile defense systems.

To support this broader effort, US Space Command also awarded a $1.2 billion contract to BAE Systems this year. Under the deal, BAE will supply 10 missile-tracking satellites for deployment in medium Earth orbit.

The new satellite constellation will be part of the United States’ multilayered missile defense architecture, known as the Golden Dome.