BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The future of Missile Warning is here. On September 23, 2025, the U.S. Space Force achieved a key milestone with operational acceptance of the second operational delivery (OA #2) of the Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE) to the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Space Force Base. Critically, this delivery adds and integrates FORGE Mission Data Processing (MDP) with the cyber-secure FORGE Framework to dramatically expand the accuracy, performance, and resiliency of Missile Warning. Managed by System Delta 84 at Space Systems Command (SSC) and developed by SciTec, the FORGE program is a paradigm shift in how we acquire space ground systems by using prototype competitions for component pieces instead of buying the entire system as a single delivery from one vendor. This approach permits the government to modernize legacy infrastructure under other transaction authority (OTA) to foster innovation and transformative speed. FORGE provides a scalable, cyber secure, resilient ecosystem enabling operations for all Missile Warning missions today and into the future.
“This delivery provides dramatic performance enhancements to our Missile Warning warfighters,” said Matt McHugh, SciTec Executive Director and senior FORGE technical advisor. “With FORGE processing we’re delivering cutting edge image processing, signal detection, and AI/ML throughout the stack, which is dramatically increasing the sensitivity of the system and enabling Missile Warning to detect more and stealthier threats sooner, and track them longer. Just as importantly, we are now able to continuously deliver enhancements into the operational system in close collaboration with the operational users to ensure Missile Warning stays ahead of the threat.”
In August 2022 following a 12-month prototype competition, SSC awarded a production OTA to deliver the next-generation mission data processing applications for Missile Warning to SciTec. In March 2023, SSC awarded SciTec an additional effort to further deliver sensor-specific processing applications, this time following a nine-month competitive “fly-off.” Earlier this year SciTec was awarded the Enterprise OPIR System (EOS) contract to complete the FORGE Framework. All of these components came together for OA #2.
“FORGE proves there is a better way to do acquisition – expand the industrial base, leverage non-traditionals, try before you buy, and emphasize close collaboration between operations and acquisitions,” said David Simenc, SciTec President. “For all of our FORGE efforts our approach has been the same. Speed to Ops – deliver on schedule. Ensure the government owns the baseline – no vendor lock. And focus on the mission – deliver for the warfighter. We are delivering four more major operational milestones in the next 24 months while continuously enhancing existing operational capabilities. We look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with the Space Force’s System Deltas and Mission Deltas to deliver these critical capabilities.”
SciTec is a non-traditional defense contractor headquartered in Princeton, NJ. SciTec executes the FORGE program primarily from its software factory in Boulder, CO. On Oct 6 SciTec announced its intent to be acquired by Firefly Aerospace. The acquisition is expected to close 4Q2025.
SOURCE SCITEC INC
