The Space Force has submitted a historic FY2027 classified budget request of $17.3 billion — up from $6.5 billion in FY2026 — including $1 billion designated for four new distributed space operations centers, a direct response to the lessons of Operation Epic Fury in Iran, during which U.S. space capabilities were targeted and destroyed in combat for the first time in the service's history, according to Brig. Gen. Christopher Fernengel.
Operation Epic Fury and the Case for Distribution
Operation Epic Fury in Iran produced a stark operational lesson that now shapes Space Force investment priorities. Brig. Gen. Christopher Fernengel stated plainly: "We've seen in Operation Epic Fury, for the first time, that our space capabilities have been targeted and destroyed. We expect that to happen more." That acknowledgment — that adversaries have demonstrated both the will and the means to attack U.S. space ground infrastructure — is the foundation on which the $1 billion distributed operations investment rests.
The distributed operations strategy is a direct architectural response to single-point-of-failure vulnerabilities exposed during the operation. Concentrating space command and control functions at a small number of facilities creates high-value targets. By dispersing operations across four geographically separated centers, the Space Force aims to ensure that the loss of any single facility — whether to kinetic strike, cyber intrusion, or electromagnetic attack — does not degrade the service's ability to command its constellations and execute space missions.
The Four New Centers
The $1 billion request funds space operations centers at four installations: Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado, and Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. Each facility is being designed to withstand kinetic, cyber, and electromagnetic attack, reflecting the multi-domain threat environment that Epic Fury demonstrated. The geographic spread of the four sites — spanning the Mountain West, the South, and the Northern Plains — provides resilience against both targeted strikes and regional disruptions.
Schriever SFB is already the home of several major Space Force mission areas and brings existing infrastructure and workforce depth. Kirtland AFB hosts space-related research and nuclear command missions, providing a complementary operational profile. Redstone Arsenal's inclusion reflects the growing role of Army-Space Force coordination in missile warning and defense. Grand Forks AFB's selection extends the distributed architecture into the upper Midwest, a region with strategic radar and early warning significance.
Electronic Warfare Investment
Beyond the four operations centers, the FY2027 budget includes what officials described as a significant investment in space electronic warfare tactical operations centers. Both domestic and international locations are planned, though the specific sites and associated costs remain classified. The electronic warfare investment reflects the dual nature of the space domain threat: adversaries can attack ground infrastructure directly, or they can jam, spoof, or deceive the signals that space systems depend on. Dedicated EW tactical operations centers provide both offensive and defensive capabilities in that electromagnetic contest.
The classification of EW site locations is itself operationally significant. Publicly disclosing the locations of facilities designed to conduct or defend against electronic attack would provide adversaries with targeting information. The budget request acknowledges the international dimension of the EW posture — forward-deployed EW capabilities allow the Space Force to operate closer to contested signal environments and respond faster to hostile electromagnetic activity — but specific facility details remain restricted.
Force Growth to Match Investment
The FY2027 budget adds 2,800 military positions and more than 2,000 civilian billets to the Space Force. By 2031, the service targets a total force of 25,000 military personnel and 12,500 civilians. That growth trajectory reflects both the operational expansion driven by investments like the four new operations centers and the EW posture, and the institutional maturation of a service that stood up in 2019 with a fraction of those numbers.
Staffing four new operations centers requires not only construction and systems integration but trained operators, intelligence analysts, and maintenance personnel. The workforce growth projections embedded in the FY2027 request are calibrated to support the facilities and capabilities the budget funds, rather than representing standalone organizational growth. Recruiting and training personnel for four new hardened operations centers — with the security clearances, technical specializations, and operational readiness requirements those facilities demand — is itself a demanding multi-year undertaking that must begin well before the facilities reach construction completion and initial operating capability.
What It Means for Contractors
- Facilities construction and hardening: Four new operations centers designed to withstand kinetic, cyber, and electromagnetic attack represent substantial construction and hardening contracts across Kirtland AFB, Redstone Arsenal, Schriever SFB, and Grand Forks AFB. Firms with DoD facility hardening, blast protection, and secure facility construction experience should monitor Military Construction solicitations associated with this program.
- C2 systems integration: Equipping four distributed centers with interoperable command and control systems, communications infrastructure, and data links is a systems integration challenge of significant scale. Prime and subcontractors in space ground systems, mission software, and secure communications should track Space Force program office solicitations for the distributed operations initiative.
- Electronic warfare systems: The classified EW tactical operations center program — both domestic and international — will drive classified solicitations for EW hardware, software, and integration services. Firms with existing space EW clearances and program relationships are best positioned for this work.
- Workforce development and training: The addition of 2,800 military and 2,000-plus civilian positions over a single year creates demand for training systems, simulation tools, and professional development support. Companies offering space operations training curricula, simulation environments, and crew qualification programs have a growth market aligned with the Space Force's expansion timeline.
- Long-term planning horizon: The $17.3 billion FY2027 request and the 25,000-military / 12,500-civilian target for 2031 provide a five-year planning horizon. Firms building space domain awareness, ground systems, or EW capabilities should align their business development cycles to the Space Force's multi-year growth arc.
