The expansion is intended to support Boeing’s small spacecraft subsidiary, Millennium Space Systems, in delivering 12 satellites in 2027 for the Space Force’s Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking program, known as MWT MEO. The satellites will operate in medium-Earth orbit as part of a broader architecture to detect and track enemy missiles from space.
“By combining Millennium’s agility with Boeing’s EO/IR payload capability, we can deliver superior mission performance for the MWT MEO program,” Millennium CEO Tony Gingiss said in a statement. “We will continue investing in and expanding our production footprint to advance our capability and drive future mission success.”
The Space Force plans to launch the MEO satellites in batches, or “epochs,” with Millennium’s spacecraft comprising the first installment. The initial launch, originally scheduled for 2026, has been delayed to mid-2027 due to supply chain issues.
The service has also awarded a contract to BAE Systems to provide 10 satellites for Epoch 2, while L3Harris Technologies is developing a prototype for the program. The missile warning and tracking architecture is expected to play a role in the Pentagon’s Golden Dome effort, which seeks to integrate new and existing capabilities, including space sensors and command-and-control systems, into an advanced missile defense shield.
Beyond the MWT MEO program, Boeing said the added capacity will allow it to scale production across its satellite lines. The company has set a target of delivering 26 spacecraft this year, more than double its 2025 output.
“We’re moving to more than double our satellite output this year, and investments like this, along with other factory upgrades and continued investment in our team, are how we do it with schedule credibility,” said Sam Greaves, Boeing’s interim vice president for space mission systems.
The production expansion comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called on the defense industry to shift to what he describes as a “wartime footing.” In November, the Pentagon released a strategy aimed at transforming procurement, increasing production and holding companies accountable for performance.
During a 18 February visit to Boeing’s facility in St. Louis, Missouri, where the company builds the F-47 and F-15EX fighters, the T-7 trainer and weapons such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition, Hegseth urged employees to accelerate production. “Our only job is to say, run faster, cut more deals, invest more deeply—not just in another shift but a new production line and then another line next to it,” he said. “It’s not enough to just provide a little bit more. We need a lot-a-bit more given the states and the threats in front of us.”
Source: Air & Space Forces Magazine.
