Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/ESS000/ — data as of July 28, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS)
Budget Figures
FY2026 award data is a partial year — USASpending awards are reported on a rolling basis and the fiscal year does not close until September 30. why partial FY2026 data? →
Insufficient trajectory data for sparkline (only FY26 available).
● actuals (line) · ○ enacted · ◇ request — gaps are editions the program is absent from, never interpolated.
| Series | FY26 |
|---|---|
| Request | $65.0M |
blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.
Program Lineage
No predecessor/successor lineage was recorded for this program element — no FY-to-FY transfer into or out of this line was stated in the ingested J-books, and none was inferred from the program structure.
Description
Description — Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS)
ESS is the backbone for Joint All Domain Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3). The system will replace Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) Strategic Satellite Communications (SATCOM) services to provide global, integrated, survivable, resilient, and dynamic ground and satellite communications for assured strategic endurance across the conflict continuum. The ESS program underwent a resiliency architecture shift to address emerging sophisticated threats and to ensure strategic SATCOM capabilities are available to the National Command Authority (NCA), Combatant Commanders, and joint warfighters in any potential future conflict. It will provide the only arctic DoD strategic communication capability across the joint enterprise, and will provide worldwide secure, jam-resistant communications for strategic ground, sea, and air assets. ESS will support existing strategic user terminals in all operational environments. ESS is acquired and developed in several parallel efforts to accelerate delivery of capability to warfighters by the strategic need date in FY 2032. The ESS System includes a Space Segment (ACAT-I), Ground, and Integration Segment (ACAT-I equiv), and a Crypto Segment (ACAT-III). The Space Segment plans to transition from a Middle-Tier Acquisition (MTA) to a Major Capability Acquisition (MCA) in FY 2025. The Ground Segment, also known as GRIFFON - Ground Resilient Integration & Framework for Operational NC3, is comprised of the Ground Integration and Framework (GIF), System of Systems Integration (SoSI), and Mission Software Applications. This enables a resilient and modular cybersecure architecture that bridges the gap between modern software best practices and legacy user terminal capability. The GIF/ SoSI is leveraging Software Acquisition Pathway Other Transactional Authority for rapid prototyping of ground software. The ESS Ground Framework creates the cybersecure software development, integration, and operational environments utilizing agile Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) principles and onboards hosted external mission applications and services. The SoSI ensures all ESS segments that are acquired in parallel, in addition to external entities, work together to accomplish the mission. Additional mission-unique capabilities, like In-Band Command and Control (C2), Out-of-Band C2, Strategic Mission Planning, Test, Evaluation, Training, and other similar mission capabilities will be acquired modularly as applications that will be hosted on the ESS Ground Framework. The Crypto Segment is focused on the development, integration and testing of National Security Agency (NSA)-certified End-Cryptographic Units (ECUs) that are required for secure strategic communications encryption in the ESS payloads, bus, test terminals, and user terminals. The modular acquisition approach allows the program to avoid vendor lock in all segments and creates opportunities for industry competition and teaming with small innovative non-traditional partners for the Ground Segment on the Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC) Other Transactional Authority (OTA). SpEC requires ESS ground segment primary contractors that are developing software to utilize small businesses for significant portion of the prototyping work, allowing the program to integrate innovative best practices, increase agility, reduce costs and development lifecycles, while also expanding the resilient and strategic SATCOM capabilities. The ESS system adheres to NC3 classification requirements. ESS will meet the requirements for strategic communications and capability gaps identified in the Protected Satellite Communications Services (PSCS) Analysis of Alternatives (AoA), the Protected Follow-on for Resiliency (PAFR) Study and the Strategic Tiger Team. The ESS architecture and functionality will be designed in accordance with the United States Strategic Command's signed ESS Concept of Operations and the Joint Requirements Oversight Council's validated Capability Development Document (CDD) satisfying the legacy Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) strategic requirements and mission performance with enhancements for increased resiliency and cybersecurity. The ESS system will satisfy emerging requirements using modular open system approaches to support incremental enhancements. Advanced Procurement funds will be used in FY 2026. These are critical long lead parts for ESS Space Vehicles 3 and 4 in order to maintain the production schedule of ESS Space Vehicles and achieve initial operational capability by FY 2032. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver ESS weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 1206392SF, 1206398SF.
Justification
Justification — Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS)
This program is a new start. FY 2026 Advanced Procurement funds critical long lead parts for ESS Space Vehicles 3 and 4. These parts are crucial for maintaining the production schedule of ESS Space Vehicles to achieve initial operational capability by FY 2032. FY 2026 critical long lead purchases include field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), printed circuit boards, antenna components, and other electronic components that are in high demand. Some long lead parts may require up to 52 weeks of lead time. FY 2026 Advanced Procurement also procures independent technical, systems engineering, and integration support critical to managing ESS Space Vehicle production milestones and mission assurance activities. Funding will enable the ability to rapidly respond to emerging threats in the cyber and contested space domain. Additional activities may include, but are not limited to, program office support, studies, technical analysis, experimentation, prototyping, etc. FY 2026 funding will allow the program to rapidly respond to implement system resiliency and situational awareness necessary to operate through the contested space domain. Activities may include, but are not limited to, program office support, studies, technical analysis, and activities that may leverage commercial, U.S. Government partnership, and international opportunities to respond to existing and emerging adversarial threats with speed and agility, etc.
Budget Line Items(workbook-cited)
Exhibit P-1
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Procurement, Space Force | F | FY26 Disc. Request | $65.0M |
| Procurement, Space Force | F | FY26 Total | $65.0M |
Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)
| Project | FY24 Actuals | FY25 Total | FY26 Base | FY26 Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Element | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
No follow-the-dollar view — this program's awards haven't been crosswalked at high confidence (flows cover 17 of 1741 programs). why coverage is partial? →
Awards
No awards are linked to this program element at high confidence — the budget→award crosswalk only asserts links it can defend, and this line has none yet.
Lobbying Mentions
No Senate LDA lobbying filing in the tracked data mentions this program element by code or alias.
No research dossier for this program — dossiers cover 50 of 1741 programs, the largest fully J-book-detailed lines by FY2026 requested dollars. why no dossier here? →