Lockheed Martin's SBIRS Block 10 Ground System achieves operational acceptance

The US Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center and the 460th Space Wing has achieved operational acceptance of the Lockheed Martin's Space-Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) Block 10 ground system.

The acceptance enhances the constellation's ability to deliver infrared data that is critical to early missile warning and defense, the company announced Tuesday.

The Space Based Infrared System, or SBIRS, is a component of the branch's satellite constellation responsible for compiling large amounts of data for defense and intelligence reports.

"With the Block 10 upgrade, the mission-critical data supplied by SBIRS is now being managed from a single ground control station, which is not only cost-efficient, but also more effective in providing our Air Force operators with the ability to characterize threats and quickly provide that information to military commanders deployed around the globe," Lockheed Martin Overhead Persistent Infrared Systems vice president David Sheridan said.

Once completed, the ground system will support existing missions such as missile warning, technical intelligence gathering, and battlespace awareness. Lockheed Martin will be tasked with providing operations and sustainment support while continuing to bolster cybersecurity capabilities.

The new project aims to replace the existing ground support segment which has been in operation since 2001.