"Tranche One initial warfighting capability launches start in September 2024," Tournear told a National Security Space Association (NSSA) virtual event on Thursday. "One hundred and fifty satellites up there will give you persistence over the Indo-Pacific region."
Tournear pointed out that tactical radios to enable US ground, sea and air forces in the Indo-Pacific region to download data from the satellites in real time after they are launched into low earth orbit (LEO) are already in theater.
The satellite constellation will provide the capability of "communicating data [and] targeting back and forth [and] moving data out-of-theater in real time," Tournear said.
The United States will start the launches in September 2024 and will put up enough satellites to detect and track incoming missiles in the Indo-Pacific theater, Tournear added.