LAKE KICKAPOO, Texas — The U.S. Space Force has selected Lake Kickapoo, Texas, as the preferred location for the third and final site of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) network. The decision was announced on September 9, 2026, and remains subject to final planning approvals and the award of a construction contract.
The Texas site will complete a three-site network being developed by the United States, United Kingdom and Australia under a 22-year trilateral memorandum of understanding. The U.S. Space Force is the overall lead, while Northrop Grumman is building the radars.
DARC Deep-Space Radar Network
Once completed, DARC is designed to provide continuous, all-weather, day-and-night surveillance of geostationary orbit, about 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometers) above Earth.
The system is intended to identify, track and characterize objects and activity in deep space, including smaller objects, with greater sensitivity, accuracy, capacity and tracking agility than existing ground-based optical systems.
“Selecting Texas as the preferred location for the final DARC site keeps us on track to deliver a truly global deep-space sensing network with our closest allies,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess.
He said the capability will improve visibility in the contested space domain and strengthen the allies' ability to protect space systems.
Three-Site Allied Network
The first DARC site, on the Exmouth Peninsula in Western Australia, was completed in December 2024 and entered early-use operations in 2025.
U.S. Space Force Guardians from Mission Delta 2 and the 20th Space Surveillance Squadron, headquartered at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, currently operate the Australian sensor under an early-use agreement.
The UK DARC site at Cawdor Barracks in Pembrokeshire, Wales, remains the preferred location and is awaiting planning approval. Construction at the UK site is also expected to begin in 2027.
Statements From U.S. Space Force Officials
“DARC is a strong example of how we are translating operational requirements into fielded capability through deliberate acquisition and close collaboration with our allies,” said Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration Dr. Erich “HB” Hernandez-Baquero.
He said completing the Texas site will improve network resilience and provide sustained sensing for long-term space domain awareness.
Col. Barry Croker, commander of Mission Delta 2, said the completed network will give operators a more persistent and responsive ability to detect and track activity in deep space and support protection of space-enabled services used by U.S. forces and allies.
Lake Kickapoo Site
Lake Kickapoo is located in Archer County, north Texas, roughly 120 miles northwest of Fort Worth and about 150 miles northwest of Dallas, near Archer City and Wichita Falls.
The location previously hosted the main transmitter site for the AN/FPS-133 Space Fence, an older continuous-wave radar network that operated for decades before being decommissioned in 2013.
Construction and Operational Timeline
Construction at the Texas site is expected to begin in 2027 after required approvals and contract award.
- 2027: Construction expected to begin
- 2029: Civil construction projected to finish
- After 2029: Technical testing and evaluation
- 2030: Operational acceptance planned
This is earlier than previous projections that had pointed toward full operations closer to 2032.
Funding and Final Capability
The fiscal 2027 budget request includes $442 million for the DARC program, with additional funding planned through fiscal 2031 to support remaining work across the sites.
When complete, the three-site DARC network will provide the United States, United Kingdom and Australia with a shared deep-space surveillance capability to support space domain awareness and protect critical space-enabled military and civilian infrastructure.
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