Redwire Boosts Investment in Phased Array Antennas for Military Space Networks
Redwire Corporation announced a strategic investment in next-generation phased array antenna technology aimed at delivering faster, more resilient, and more scalable space-based data networks for global warfighter communications. The company said the move positions it in a rapidly expanding market where high-capacity, low-latency communication is essential for national security, civil, and commercial missions.
The investment will accelerate the development and production of adaptable phased array antenna systems designed to support missions across low Earth orbit, medium Earth orbit, and geostationary orbit. Redwire said the systems will provide dynamic beam steering, improved link reliability, and increased throughput, capabilities the company described as critical as the industry advances toward distributed architectures and proliferated constellations.
The investment follows a major capital upgrade of Redwire's RF flight electronics assembly facilities. The company's RF Systems group, based in Longmont, Colorado, is a merchant supplier of RF tactical communications and sensing payloads to Tier 1 aerospace and defense primes. Redwire said it has delivered more than 200 flight antennas.
Redwire's portfolio of flight-proven RF products includes tactical connectivity antennas used on the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture military satellite network. The company said those antennas enabled the first U.S. military Link-16 communications from space in 2023. Its portfolio also includes advanced RF payloads currently in production for a European defense contractor.
"Space data networks are evolving at an unprecedented pace, and phased arrays are a foundational technology enabling that transformation," said Mike Sharkey, Senior Vice President, Redwire Defense Tech, RF Systems. "By investing heavily in this domain, Redwire is ensuring our customers can deploy communication solutions that are more flexible, more powerful, and more resilient than ever before."
Redwire said the flight-proven status of its existing systems provides a strong foundation for the expanded product investment. The company describes itself as an integrated space and defense technology firm with approximately 1,400 employees across North America and Europe.
According to the company, the investment positions Redwire at the forefront of a market where high-capacity, low-latency communication is essential for national security, civil, and commercial missions. Redwire characterized its advanced RF systems as the backbone of mission-critical space communication and described itself as a world leader in antenna production.
The source material does not identify specific milestones, delivery dates, or contract decisions tied to the expanded investment beyond the ongoing production of RF payloads for a European defense contractor.