Northrop Grumman to build second DARC site for $200 million

By Shelley K. Mesch / August 29, 2024 at 12:58 PM

The Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a $200 million contract for the second Deep Space Advance Radar Capability site, which will be built in the United Kingdom.

This is Northrop’s second DARC award as the company is also building site 1 in Western Australia, which is set to come online in 2026, the Defense Department said in December. That contract, awarded in early 2022, is worth $341 million.

“This site brings us closer to achieving global coverage of deep space, which is a critical mission for future security of the U.S. and its allies,” said Pablo Pezzimenti, Northrop’s vice president for integrated national systems.

The contract for DARC site 3 will likely be awarded next year, according to the most recent Government Accountability Office weapon system assessment report.

The three ground-based radar sites are designed to provide advanced geosynchronous-orbit object tracking around the clock in all weather conditions. The capability is part of the trilateral AUKUS agreement.

Work under the site 2 contract is expected to be completed in February 2030, according to the Defense Department’s Aug. 23 contract announcement.

An announcement from last year naming Northrop as the sole-source contractor for DARC listed June 2028 and June 2029 as the initial operational capability dates for DARC sites 2 and 3.

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