LeoLabs Secures $20M Space Force Award for Mobile Radar Intelligence
LeoLabs expands its defense footprint with a $20.68 million Space Force contract to deploy Scout, a transportable radar system capable of tracking high-value orbital assets in real-time.
Tactical SDA Expansion
LeoLabs has secured a $20.68 million Prototype Other Transaction Agreement from the U.S. Space Force to integrate its Scout radar technology into national security operations. According to Payload, this contract bypasses standard procurement cycles, allowing the Pentagon to rapidly evaluate the mobile sensor’s utility in contested orbital environments.
The Scout Platform
Unlike the company’s fixed global radar installations, Scout is a transportable unit roughly the size of a shipping container. The hardware is designed for rapid deployment to gather targeted orbital intelligence. A prototype deployed in the Indo-Pacific this past June demonstrated immediate capability, successfully tracking Chinese ISR satellites and the nation's classified spaceplane within hours of activation.
Operational Transition
Under the terms of the award, LeoLabs will deliver a modified Scout system tailored for Department of Defense (DoD) requirements. The company, which currently tracks over 23,000 objects—including debris as small as 10 cm—is shifting its focus from purely commercial space traffic management toward the government and defense sector.
CEO Tony Frazier emphasized that the partnership validates the role of proven commercial sensing in accelerating defense missions. This award follows a December contract where LeoLabs integrated its SDA data catalog into the Commerce Department’s TraCSS tool, signaling a broader integration of commercial data into government orbital monitoring frameworks.