BOULDER, Colo. — SciTec, a wholly owned subsidiary of Firefly Aerospace (Nasdaq: FLY), has been awarded a $93,704,410 firm-fixed-price Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) by the U.S. Space Force for the Ground-Based Radar Digitization (GBRD) program.
The contract will support the development of a common architecture and design for modernizing U.S. ground-based radar systems. Space Systems Command, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the contracting activity. The work is expected to continue through April 21, 2028, with activities to be performed in Arlington, Texas; Princeton, New Jersey; and Woburn, Massachusetts.
Three Companies Selected for Radar Digitization
SciTec is one of three companies selected by the Space Force for the GBRD effort. The contracts have a combined value of approximately $423.4 million.
| Company | Contract value |
|---|---|
| Raytheon Corp. | $309,472,660 |
| SciTec Innovations LLC | $93,704,410 |
| WildStar LLC | $20,226,551 |
| Total | $423,403,621 |
The contracts were awarded through a competitive acquisition process that received eight offers. The U.S. government also obligated $107.436 million in fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation funds at the time of the awards.
Modernizing Six Legacy Radar Systems
The GBRD program covers the digitization of six legacy radar systems, consisting of five Upgraded Early Warning Radar (UEWR) sites and one Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS) site.
The modernization effort is intended to create a common architecture and design for the upgraded ground-based radars. According to the program description, the work is aimed at improving battlespace situational awareness through increased radar tracking capacity, range and object classification while also addressing system obsolescence and sustainment challenges.
The program's focus on digitization is intended to address aging radar infrastructure and establish a more common approach to upgrading the systems. The Space Force has not publicly provided all technical details of the planned architecture.
SciTec's Role
Under its $93.7 million agreement, SciTec will contribute to the GBRD modernization effort alongside Raytheon and WildStar.
SciTec has more than four decades of experience supporting national security missions. Its work includes defense software, data processing and capabilities supporting areas such as missile warning and defense, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, space domain awareness, remote sensing and autonomous command and control.
David Simenc, president of SciTec, said:
“SciTec is honored to support the Space Force. This effort strengthens national defense, modernizing vital radar infrastructure and ensuring the United States maintains an operational advantage in an increasingly contested environment while minimizing total lifecycle costs to taxpayers and warfighters.”
Firefly Completed SciTec Acquisition in 2025
The radar contract also comes after Firefly Aerospace completed its acquisition of SciTec in late 2025. Firefly announced the completion of the transaction on November 5, 2025, after announcing the planned acquisition the previous month.
Firefly agreed to acquire SciTec for approximately $855 million, with the transaction involving cash and Firefly shares. The acquisition brought SciTec's national-security software and data-processing capabilities into Firefly's broader space and defense business.
SciTec has continued operating as part of Firefly following the acquisition.
Firefly Aerospace has capabilities spanning launch, lunar and in-space operations. In March 2025, its Blue Ghost Mission 1 successfully landed on the Moon, an achievement also documented by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
The GBRD award adds another U.S. government modernization program to SciTec's defense portfolio and gives the company a role in the planned digitization of legacy ground-based radar infrastructure. The current contract is scheduled to run through April 21, 2028.
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