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2d ago

NRO Moves HawkEye 360 Into Operational Role Under Commercial RF Contract

The award gives U.S. intelligence and defense agencies operational access to commercial radio‑frequency data used to detect and geolocate radars and wireless signals.

Hawkeye 360 executives speak at the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training gathering in Singapore, an annual multilateral maritime security exercise led by the U.S. Navy and regional partners.
HawkEye 360's satellites can detect radio frequency emissions generated by air defense systems to monitor their location and activity. Image: HawkEye 360
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Overview

  • The National Reconnaissance Office has awarded HawkEye 360 a contract under its Commercial Radio Frequency Capability Augmentation program to buy commercial RF data for government missions.
  • The NRO did not disclose the dollar value of the award, which shifts HawkEye 360 from years of evaluation and on‑orbit testing into production support for U.S. intelligence and defense users.
  • HawkEye 360 operates more than 30 low‑Earth‑orbit small satellites that fly in three‑satellite clusters to detect, characterize and geolocate electronic emissions such as radars, ship transponders and communications.
  • The company said international sales are growing rapidly, with record Q2 international revenue and more than $100 million in recent overseas awards for customers including European defense programs and the Indian Navy.
  • HawkEye 360 is pursuing faster tasking and delivery by adding satellites and hosted payloads to reach a roughly 10‑minute revisit and data latency goal, a step that would let defense users get near‑real‑time RF intelligence.