WASHINGTON - The U.S. Air Force has awarded Raytheon, an RTX company, an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with an $8 billion maximum ceiling for developmental modernization, production restart services, and technical studies associated with the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center's Strategic Communications Terminals.
The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., awarded the contract on a sole-source basis under contract number FA2293-27-D-B001. At the time of award, the Air Force is obligating $800,000 in fiscal 2026 research, development, test, and evaluation funds.
Strategic communications terminals support protected communications for nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3). These systems connect national command authorities with strategic forces, including transmitting Emergency Action Messages to military personnel responsible for nuclear operations. The Air Force previously upgraded satellite communications terminals at Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launch control centers to support the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite communications system.
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Earlier updates
Raytheon's earlier Minuteman Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network Program Upgrade (MMPU) incorporated the eXtended Data Rate (XDR) waveform, which enabled terminals to communicate with AEHF satellites while supporting protected voice, data, and video communications. Raytheon reported that XDR moved data more than five times faster than previous extremely high frequency satellite communications systems. The terminals also incorporated cryptographic technologies to protect nuclear command-and-control networks.
The latest contract announcement does not identify the terminal models or specify whether the modernization effort involves AEHF-compatible terminals, the MMPU program, or other strategic communications systems. The $8 billion figure represents the contract's maximum ceiling, not funding obligated at award; future work will depend on orders issued under the IDIQ contract.
The cost-plus-fixed-fee contract covers work at Raytheon facilities in Marlborough, Mass., and Largo, Fla. Work is expected to be completed by 12 Oct. 2036.
