Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Capability

The Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Capability, now known as the LEO Battle Management Command, Control (BMC2), and Ground Infrastructure, is designed to bolster the United States Army's tactical space strategy. This initiative aims to equip tactical land component forces with vital space-based capabilities to address gaps in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) and counter adversarial surveillance and reconnaissance systems. It integrates data from national, Department of Defense (DoD), commercial space-based, and high-altitude sensors into Army and Joint ground architectures. This integration is intended to ensure resilient communications, assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT), and all-domain sensing capabilities.

The BMC2 and Ground Infrastructure component emphasizes prototyping, experimentation, and risk reduction activities. These efforts support wide-area, responsive, and deep-area sensing required for Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) targeting and command and control (C2) of non-kinetic fires for counter-ISR operations. By significantly reducing Sensor to Shooter (S2S) timelines, the program aims to enable freedom of maneuver for operational forces. Additionally, it facilitates dynamic tasking, receiving, and disseminating data to support live-fire S2S demonstrations and assessments.

In FY2025, the program plans to continue its focus on prototyping and experimentation activities with a base allocation supporting the development of prototypes that close all-domain sensing capability gaps while providing C2 of counter-adversarial surveillance systems. The program also explores complementary AI/ML technologies through various prototyping efforts within ground station architecture. These activities are crucial for enabling wide-area sensing and force maneuver capabilities.

Furthermore, the program supports navigation warfare technology integration and PNT technology development in denied or degraded environments. It includes conducting multiple assessment events such as the Assured Positioning, Navigation, Timing/s (APNT/S) Cross Functional Team Campaign of Learning and Army Futures Command's Project Convergence exercises. These initiatives provide realistic operational environments for evaluating integrated ISR, PNT, BMC2, and communications data to enhance situational awareness for tactical warfighters in contested environments.