New deep-space radar comes online ahead of schedule

The U.S. Space Force has moved a new deep-space sensing network into early operations, accelerating a capability intended to track activity as far as geosynchronous orbit and to respond more quickly to emerging threats, according to the service.

The Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability, designated ST-25, is built around three ground-based sites operated in concert by the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. By distributing sensors across allied territory, the system is designed to improve coverage and resilience while feeding faster decision timelines for space operations.

U.S. Space Command approved the system for Early Use in September 2025, allowing operational employment while testing and development continue. Initial activities are being run by the 20th Space Surveillance Squadron from its Integrated Radar Operations Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

“The Space Force is all-in on delivering capabilities as soon as they provide a warfighting advantage and then upgrading them as we learn from real-world operations,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman during a recent visit to 20 SPSS. “The work the 20th Space Surveillance Squadron and Mission Delta 2 are doing with ST-25 is a prime example of these principles in action.”

Program officials describe DARC as offering improved sensitivity and accuracy, greater capacity, and more flexible tracking to help classify and follow objects in a crowded orbital environment. The capability is intended to bolster the security of critical infrastructure, support allied military operations across domains, and contribute to space-traffic oversight.

The Early Use approach is intended to bring meaningful capability online sooner than a traditional schedule would allow, pairing limited operational employment with continued contractor work and iterative upgrades.

“Getting this capability into the hands of our Guardians sooner rather than later is a significant win,” said Col. Barry Croker, commander of Mission Delta 2 – Space Domain Awareness. “The Early Use phase has already provided invaluable opportunity for system familiarization, development of initial training requirements, and early identification of potential operational gaps, all of which ultimately accelerate our readiness.”

The initiative is being executed under a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding among the three nations, enabling shared sensor data and more seamless command-and-control links across allied networks. That arrangement is intended to enhance deterrence and reinforce collective space domain awareness by enabling continuous tracking, identification, and characterization of on-orbit objects.

“Coordination with our allies, as well as our U.S. Space Force teammates in Space Systems Command, has enabled our team at the 20th Space Surveillance Squadron to prove the value of the DARC initiative,” said Lt. Col. Derek Haun, 20th SPSS commander. “Operating ST-25 maximizes our ability to monitor the deep space domain in support of global operations and space domain awareness that benefits the U.S. and our allies.”

While the focus remains on reaching full operational acceptance, officials said the stepped rollout is delivering frontline capability ahead of that milestone and capturing operational feedback to guide subsequent increments.