Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture programme: case study and analysis
17 June 2025 | Research
Case study | PPTX and PDF (8 slides) | Government and Military Space| Space Infrastructure
"The PWSA programme is a major US military, non-GEO defence initiative launched by the SDA that aims to deliver space-based communications and sensing capabilities to support the Joint Warfighter approach for worldwide missions."
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
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