Next Generation OPIR

The Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) program, managed by the U.S. Space Force and Air Force, is designed to succeed the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) and deliver enhanced missile warning, missile defense, battlespace awareness, and technical intelligence capabilities. The program aims to address emerging global missile threats by developing more survivable and resilient space-based infrared sensing architectures. Its primary objectives are to mature advanced target tracking and typing technologies, deliver prototypes and demonstrations of novel missile warning and tracking approaches, and integrate these capabilities across the OPIR enterprise.

Space Modernization Initiative (SMI) is the largest component of the Next Gen OPIR budget line, focusing on four major thrust areas: Demonstrations/Prototypes, Technology Maturation, Data Exploitation, and Wide Field of View (WFOV) On-Orbit Testbed Mission Integration. Demonstrations and prototypes are intended to rapidly mature and validate new technologies for missile warning and tracking, ensuring low-risk transition to future operational systems. These activities include ground and on-orbit demonstrations, with investments such as low size, weight, and power (SWaP) crosslinks for Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) Epoch 2, cold target tracking, and edge processing.

Technology Maturation under SMI is focused on advancing critical infrared sensing components, including focal plane arrays (FPAs), optical filters, on-board processors, and resiliency hardware/software. The goal is to reduce production risks, costs, and schedule delays while increasing technical maturity for future missile warning satellites. Investments also support the development of intelligent tasking algorithms and novel methodologies for hypersonic weapon detection. Technology maturation efforts are coordinated with agencies such as Space Systems Command (SSC), Space Development Agency (SDA), Missile Defense Agency (MDA), and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

Data Exploitation is a key thrust area aimed at ingesting and fusing data from current and future proliferated sensor programs to enhance missile warning, missile defense, and battlespace awareness. This includes processing legacy SBIRS data and integrating it with WFOV GEO and LEO sensor data, with a focus on automation and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) to manage the cognitive workload of operators. The Boulder Ground Innovation Facility (BGIF) and the OPIR Tools, Applications, and Processing (TAP) Lab serve as central hubs for developing and deploying advanced software applications and algorithms. These efforts support operational integration and rapid response to emerging threats.

WFOV On-Orbit Testbed Mission Integration is a new major thrust area that leverages the WFOV demonstration system to provide real-time, wide-area infrared data for operational exercises and technical intelligence. The WFOV system, operated in partnership with Millennium Space Systems and other agencies, supports data fusion for missile warning and tracking in the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) area. It is being integrated into broader OPIR mission areas. The program collaborates with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), and other partners to expand the utility of OPIR data.

Integration is responsible for enterprise-level system engineering and integration across the Next Gen OPIR segments, including Next Gen Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO), Next Gen Polar (NGP), Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE), and Resilient MW/MT architectures. The government, supported by Booz Allen Hamilton and other contractors, leads the definition, management, and validation of the OPIR enterprise architecture, ensuring compatibility and successful fielding of new systems. Integration activities include modeling, simulation, and technical analyses to manage requirements, interfaces, and performance across space and ground segments.

The acquisition strategy for Next Gen OPIR emphasizes government ownership and integration, leveraging a mix of competitive contracts, Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs), and partnerships with Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs). The program is structured as a Section 804 Rapid Prototype effort, focusing on engineering and manufacturing development tasks to meet validated requirements prior to full-rate production. The Next Gen OPIR budget line supports a comprehensive approach to advancing U.S. missile warning and defense capabilities in response to evolving threats.