SBIRS (HEO/GEO)
OEM: Lockheed Martin
First Produced: 2011
Status: Active
Role: Strategic missile warning and infrared surveillance constellation
Primary Operator: U.S. Space Force
OEM Website: lockheedmartin.com
The Space-Based Infrared System is the U.S. military's primary overhead missile-warning constellation, replacing the legacy Defense Support Program. The architecture combines dedicated GEO satellites with hosted infrared sensors on two classified Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) host vehicles, covering the northern polar regions where GEO coverage is geometrically weak.
SBIRS supports four mission areas: missile warning, missile defense, battlespace awareness, and technical intelligence. Its staring and scanning infrared sensors detect ballistic missile launches worldwide and cue downstream shooters from Patriot and THAAD to Aegis BMD. SBIRS is being succeeded by Next Generation OPIR (Next-Gen OPIR), with the final SBIRS GEO launched in 2022.
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