Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture programme: case study and analysis

The US Space Development Agency’s (SDA’s) Proliferated Warfighting Space Architecture (PWSA) programme was created to address the US military’s increased demand for space-based defence communications and missile-tracking services. SDA has succeeded in supporting developments in laser technology, stimulating a multi-vendor procurement approach and efficiently managing its budget.

However, vendors have suffered from supply chain issues, which caused delays in the development of the PWSA. Moreover, the optical communications technology that was procured has not yet been fully demonstrated in space. These obstacles, together with strategic shifts being made by the US administration, make SDA’s future developments uncertain.

Information provided in this report

• An overview of SDA’s PWSA programme
• An assessment of whether SDA achieved its initial goals
• An analysis of the benefits of SDA’s strategy
• An overview of future US space military developments