Raytheon, Northrop Grumman/Ball Aerospace to compete for payload provider role on US Air Force project

Defense contractors Raytheon and Northrop Grumman/Ball Aerospace will compete for the right to be mission payload providers on the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared missile warning satellite system.

The next-gen system replaced the traditional Space Based Infrared System and has the potential to provide improved missile warning capabilities to the nation. The first satellite delivery under the program is scheduled to take place within 60 months.

The competition was announced by Lockheed Martin, acting as prime contractor on the project’s rapid development. The competition will task the two companies to develop critical designs for the project’s Phase 1 contract. Lockheed Martin expects to decide at the end of 2020.

“Next Gen OPIR is a very important program for our nation, with a challenging schedule, and set of technical and resiliency requirements, different than prior programs,” Tom McCormick, Lockheed Martin’s vice president for OPIR systems, said. “We recognize that this is a watershed program for the Air Force, and we understand the need to ‘Go Fast’ to ensure our national security posture stays ahead of emerging global threats.”