FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Florida-based L3Harris Technologies Inc. is continuing to build on momentum in northeast Indiana after receiving another contract from the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency, or SDA.
The contract, valued at $955 million, is for the production of 18 Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 satellites, which will be manufactured at the company’s facility in Fort Wayne.
The news comes just seven months after L3Harris received an $843 million contract to build infrared missile tracking satellites for the SDA.
Josh Lovejoy, general manager of missile warning and defense spectral solutions for L3Harris, told Inside INdiana Business that the contract is validation for the company’s efforts.
“We are very proud to be the only defense contractor that’s been on all of the SDA tranches,” Lovejoy said. “There’s plenty of news stories out there about some of the challenges that the entire industry has faced. But I think that we’ve shown that we’re dedicated to the mission and … we’ve worked collaboratively with the government to work through those challenges. And I think that’s evidenced by our continued selection in these on these efforts.”
The new satellites, according to the company will enhance national security. They are equipped with advanced infrared sensors capable of providing fire-control-quality tracking data to defend against emerging missile threats.
“L3Harris’ continued work in Indiana will deliver the next generation of space-based tracking capabilities that we need to protect the homeland and stay ahead of our adversaries,” Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said in a news release. “This is exactly the kind of industrial investment that strengthens deterrence.”
The satellites will be manufactured in Fort Wayne and assembled at L3Harris’ satellite integration and test facility in Palm Bay, Florida. Lovejoy said the satellites are expected to be delivered in 2028.
While he didn’t give a specific number, Lovejoy said the L3Harris continues to add to its workforce in Fort Wayne. He said the company has added about 100 people over the past year and a half.
Last year, L3Harris completed a $125 million expansion of its Fort Wayne operations, which included an expanded, 95,000-square-foot payload integration facility. Lovejoy said the new contracts help the company through continued expansion.
“It’s given us the ability to invest here in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Florida because of the successes that are really built on some of the work that we started just seven years ago here in our in our Fort Wayne office,” he said. “So it’s a self fulfilling cycle. The more success, the more you can invest.”
While L3Harris employs about 45,000 people in numerous locations around the world, Lovejoy said being able to support the Fort Wayne community is a special privilege.
“We recruit a lot of people into the local community. We have a lot of transplants like myself that grew up here and and worked elsewhere in service or industry and come back,” he said. “I’m just I’m just proud of the fact that we have that here in our local community and that we continue to grow and partner with organizations in northern Indiana in particular to make this warfighter mission successful.”
L3Harris said it has more than 70 missile tracking and defense satellites on order, five of which are already in orbit.