WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force has selected Lake Kickapoo, Texas, as the preferred location for the third and final site of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) space tracking network.
According to a Space Force announcement, construction is expected to begin in 2027 after contract award and completion of required planning approvals. Civil construction is projected to finish in 2029, followed by technical testing and evaluation, with operational acceptance planned for 2030.
Among the required approvals is a Federal Aviation Administration certification confirming that the radar will not interfere with systems used by civil aviation traffic controllers.
Space Force Chief of Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess said the Texas selection keeps the program on schedule to establish a global deep-space sensing network with the United States’ closest allies. He said the capability will enhance awareness in contested space and strengthen the shared ability to protect the space systems relied upon by participating nations.
DARC uses technology developed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory to monitor the geosynchronous orbital region around the clock. The radar can operate in all weather conditions, including during daylight, unlike many conventional radar systems.
Northrop Grumman received an initial $341 million contract in February 2022 to begin constructing the first DARC radar in Western Australia. In September 2023, the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding committing to collaborate on the program for 22 years.
In August 2024, Northrop won a contract valued at approximately $200 million to develop a second DARC array in Pembroke, Wales. A modification issued Aug. 25 added nearly $216 million for pre-construction work and long-lead antenna hardware and manufacturing, bringing the contract’s total value to about $495 million.
Despite that progress, the Government Accountability Office has documented schedule problems throughout the program. The GAO reported that initial operating capability at the Australian site has repeatedly slipped: the Space Force targeted September 2025 in 2023, moved the deadline to February 2026 in 2024 and now projects January 2027.
In May 2024, the Space Force began an “early use” initiative at Eglin AFB in Massachusetts. The phased approach is intended to provide critical military capability before the original operational-acceptance date while allowing contractors to continue development.
In August 2024, Northrop reported that an initial test at the Australian facility had demonstrated the ability of DARC’s antenna array to operate as a single system and track multiple satellites simultaneously. The test used only seven of the 27 parabolic dishes planned for the completed system.
In a report released July 2, the GAO said unforeseen cost growth at Site 1, including changes related to foreign-country requirements, could contribute to delays at the U.S. site. The Space Force disputed that assessment in a July 6 report by Air & Space Forces Magazine, saying no such delays had occurred.
Construction at the second site in Wales is scheduled to begin next year, according to the UK Space Strategy released Monday.
All three DARC sites are currently expected to become fully operational by December 2032, according to the latest GAO report.
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