WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force awarded BAE Systems an $11.8 million contract to demonstrate satellite-to-satellite communications using Link-182, a radio-frequency data link standard adopted for its planned MILNET data relay network supporting the Golden Dome missile defense shield.
The award, announced April 28 by Space Systems Command, follows a separate $57 million contract to SpaceX for the “Link-182 Space-to-Space Comms System Development and Demonstration.” The command said it received six proposals. The BAE demonstration is scheduled for completion by April 2027.
Link-182 is intended to enable direct communication between satellites in orbit, reducing reliance on ground stations. Under the concept, space-based interceptors would use Link-182 radios to connect into the MILNET relay layer and pass data across satellites, allowing faster and more resilient data sharing in missile tracking and response scenarios.
Golden Dome, a proposed U.S. missile defense architecture, envisions a network of satellites that includes space-based interceptors designed to detect and destroy missiles shortly after launch. A key element of that system is MILNET, a planned constellation of Starshield communications satellites in low Earth orbit built by SpaceX and operated by the Space Force. MILNET is expected to serve as the communications backbone, linking interceptors with other satellites and command systems.
The Space Force is seeking compact radios capable of operating with Link-182 in L- and S-band frequencies.