Service leaders see the launch vehicle as a future competitor to SpaceX's Falcon series rockets that currently have a lock on the most critical launches under the Defense Department's National Security Space Launch program.
Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, chief of the Space Force’s Space Systems Command, stated that the service will not move forward with awards for the newest round of the National Security Space Launch program until Congress approves the fiscal 2025 budget.
It’s about improving existing platforms with autonomy, and applying AI, edge computing, quantum encryption, and sensor fusion.
Meanwhile, the report says, the Space Force should be in charge of pursuing large networks of small satellites under the Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) — differentiating its "tactical ISR" job from the "strategic" mission of NRO.
While Space Systems Command hasn't publicly expressed concerns, outside observers point out that there is a real possibility that only Elon Musk's SpaceX will be able to undertake National Security Space Launches in the next few years.