BAE gets space radar extension

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- The U.S. Air Force Space Command awarded BAE Systems a three-year contract extension to continue maintaining space radars used for missile warning and space surveillance operations. The company provides a range of services, including around-the-clock operations and maintenance. The award is a continuation of work that BAE Systems has been done since 2007, and raises the cumulative value of the contract to about $540 million. The Solid State Phased Array Radar System (SSPARS) is a network of radars that tracks more than 16,000 objects orbiting Earth. The radar system identifies various man-made objects in space, and also tracks objects that may enter the atmosphere, information vital to air missile defense operations and to protecting against submarine-launched ballistic missiles. SSPARS is capable of about 40,000 space observations daily. (Source: BusinessWire, 02/24/14)