The Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or JADC2, under development by the Defense Department aims to link sensors, shooters, and targets in addition to providing communications across Link 16 radios in the armed forces throughout the world.
The operation of JADC2 requires a satellite network.

At a National Security Space Association event today, Derek M. Tournear, director of the Space Development Agency, or SDA, who works with industry to put those satellites in space, gave a virtual speech.
According to him, SDA offers to provide warfighters with two capacities.

According to him, the first goes beyond line-of-sight targeting for moving targets. For instance, the presence of a hostile ship or mobile missile launcher requires detection, tracking, and the computation of a fire-control solution by the shooter. Everything needs to occur from space in almost real time.

Although the objectives are different, the second capacity is fairly similar to the first capability. An adversary’s hypersonic glide vehicle or sophisticated missile must be identified in flight and tracked, and a fire-control strategy must be developed and implemented in almost real-time, according to Tournear, in place of mobile missile launchers or ships.

According to him, SDA is constructing these skills around two key tenets.
Proliferation is the first pillar. “We won’t accomplish this with a small number of extremely beautiful satellites. Hundreds and hundreds of low-Earth orbit satellites will be used for this endeavor. Proliferation in low Earth orbit is the future of space and space capabilities, which many people are now beginning to recognize,” he remarked.

“Not only are we doing that, but the commercial industry, which we’re tailing off of, is clearly starting to build up more and more proliferation in low Earth orbit,” Tournear said.
Spiral development is pillar number two. Waiting 15 years to reach full capability is not going to get those capabilities as rapidly as possible, he said.

He clarified that spiral development is the plan to purchase and deploy satellites in phases between now and the end of this decade, roughly every year or two. Spiral development refers to the commercial, cutting-edge technology advancements that should occur annually to enable satellites in subsequent tranches to deploy even greater capability.

The first payment, known as tranche 0, is due this year. SDA launched ten satellites into orbit with success in April. SDA delivered 13 more satellites in September, and more are on the way. He claimed that SDA had accomplished the first-ever demonstration of a Link 16 network entry connection from low Earth orbit to the ground in November.
Although there aren’t enough satellites in Tranche 0 yet for use in warfare, soldiers can make use of this restricted capability for training, drills, and demonstrations, he said.

According to him, Tranche 1 will enable first warfighting capability with up to 161 satellites operational by September 2024.

Launches for tranches 2 and 3 are scheduled for 2026, September 2028, and 2030, respectively. By tranche 4, warfighters will have access to ever-greater capabilities, including sustained capability and eventually autonomous operations, the source stated.