According to Space Force budget documents, the Force plans to award as many as three competitive rapid-prototyping contracts for Evolved Strategic Satellite (ESS).

The Space and Missile Systems Centre announced the contract award Sept. 16 for the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications program, known as Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS). The satellite is to be completed by May 2025. Northrop Grumman Corp. received a $298 million contract to develop an anti-jam military satellite to supplement and eventually replace the existing Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellites made by Lockheed Martin. Space News reports.

The ESS program continues the strategic satellite communications (SATCOM) mission of the AEHF constellation — providing survivable, global, secure, protected, and jam-resistant communications for high-priority military operations and national command authorities.