Stopping Enemy Attacks: Pentagon OPIR Missile Warning Satellites Close “Gaps”

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

(Washington, D.C.) Satellites and military space sensors often operate as a glaring, ever-present “electric eye” zooming in on earth to look for heat signatures coming from launching enemy rockets and ICBMs, force maneuvers and fast-changing tactical circumstances unfolding amid heavy fire and hostile aircraft approaching sensitive command centers and vital targets in need of Protection

Yet, how can human decision makers somehow discern, organize and process crucial, time-sensitive operational data at the “speed of relevance?”

Speed of Relevance

This predicament, of sorts, is fast-becoming more and more pressing as technologies evolve, and is exacerbated by how new streams of information flow increasingly accelerate both the speed of transmission and the sheer volume of incoming sensor data.

This challenge relates to matters of the most crucial military significance, such as the speed with which an Air Force Space Based Infrared system can process the data associated with a mission event. Not only do event signatures need to be found, but they also must be distinguished from seemingly similar signals, processed and placed within a broader mission context to the maximum degree Possible.

The dynamics with this, which of course pertain to the speed and precision with which human decision makers can optimize a response, represent the inspirational foundation upon which the Air Force is now architecting its Overhead Persistent Infrared enterprise and moving quickly with rapid prototyping efforts intended to streamline the technical development process.

Overhead Persistent Infrared Program [OPIR]

The OPIR Program, led by Lockheed Martin through a multi-billion deal with the Air Force, anticipates operating a new OPIR system by 2025. 

OPIR is anticipated to massively improve and expand upon the technological capacity to detect, track and transmit time-sensitive threat information. The objective Next-Gen OPIR constellation consists of GEO and Polar satellites in sufficient numbers to meet global warming coverage with no exploitable holes (3 GEO + 2 Polar). The first GEO satellite is required to be ready to launch no later than 2025.