United States Defense Systems in Space

United States defense systems in space are decades ahead of the rest of the world, but they are also years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget.

Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite System:
- Cost has increased by more than 50 percent.
- Production problems.
- Changing security environment and requirements.
- An overly optimistic schedule.

Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle System:
- Cost has increased by more than 81 percent.
- Reduced commercial launch market. (Boeing Launch Services, Inc. and Lockheed Martin Space System formed a joint venture to combine production, engineering, test, and launch operations.)

Navstar Global Positioning System:
- Cost has increased by more than 20 percent.
- Seven additional Navstar Global Positioning System II or GPS II satellites have been added to Navstar Global Positioning System.
- Delay has been put on Navstar Global Positioning System III or GPS III.

National Polar Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System:
- Cost has increased by more than 10 percent.
- Difficult constant changes to contracts.
- Increased program management costs.
- Increased funds spent to mitigate risks.

Space Based Infrared System or Missile Warning Program:
- Six years behind schedule.
- Cost has increased 150 percent or from about $3.9 billion plus to $9.9 billion plus.

Wideband Gapfiller Satellite System:
- Five years behind schedule.
- Cost has increased since 2000.
- Design, integration, and manufacturing problems.
- Not able to leverage expertise from the commercial market.

Mobile User Objective System:
- Schedule has been compressed.
- Increased risks on production and software development and design.

Transformational Satellite Communications System:
- Has entered acquisition phase.
- One of seven critical technologies is mature.