The command plans to break ground on a new headquarters facility on an approximately 60-acre site near the center of Redstone Arsenal in 2027, according to the City of Huntsville. The facility is scheduled for completion around 2031, with an additional year for personnel move-in.

“To guarantee uninterrupted command and control throughout the transition, USSPACECOM will phase the relocation of personnel and missions to Redstone Arsenal and operate from interim facilities while a dedicated, purpose-built warfighting platform, designed to meet the demands of USSPACECOM’s mission needs is constructed,” Whiting said in his March 17, 2026, prepared posture statement.

“I’m very happy that we’re able to take advantage of the MILCON reform language that the Committee inserted into the last National Defense Authorization Act, which is allowing us to build our new headquarters in a different way than we would have last year without that language,” Whiting said during the March 26 hearing.

A ribbon-cutting for a new Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) at Redstone Arsenal, with capacity for more than 80 people, is scheduled for April. Whiting said interim facilities at Redstone Arsenal are being renovated and upgraded.

Whiting noted the number of personnel at Redstone is expected to grow to nearly 200 by the end of 2026. He added that he and Secretary of the Air Force Troy E. Meink will “memorialize” a decision on the military construction agent “in the very near future” after discussions with Air Force and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials.

The relocation involves approximately 1,400 positions out of the command’s roughly 1,700 military and civilian personnel. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., has said that about 50% of headquarters personnel are expected to be in Alabama by the end of 2028.

The command is offering relocation bonuses paid over several years and coverage of moving expenses for civilians who relocate to Huntsville. A retention bonus has been implemented for headquarters staff civilians remaining in Colorado Springs until their functions relocate, according to a U.S. Space Command spokesperson.

“I need my workforce to stay with me in Colorado until their function is ready to move,” Whiting said. The command has described continuity, the care of personnel and families, and preserving warfighting culture as priorities during the relocation.

In January, Whiting appointed Maj. Gen. Terry L. Grisham, an Alabama native with nearly 40 years of military and civilian service, to lead the transition as director of the Program Management Office at Redstone Arsenal.

“Terry’s nearly 40 years of expertise is informed by both his military service in the Alabama National Guard and civil service with the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command,” Whiting said in the January announcement.

“This experience — paired with his deep ties to the surrounding community — will prove invaluable as he leads our efforts on Redstone Arsenal to expeditiously relocate our warfighting organization while ensuring that the perspectives of both our military and civilian workforce are clearly represented,” he concluded.

The relocation follows President Donald Trump’s September 2025 designation of Redstone Arsenal as the headquarters location. Colorado has filed a lawsuit challenging the relocation; the Trump administration has sought its dismissal.

The deployment of the vessels — which can be used for surveillance or kamikaze strikes — has not been previously reported. It comes despite a series of setbacks in the U.S. Navy’s years‑long effort to field a fleet of uncrewed surface vessels, Reuters reported last year.

Uncrewed vessels have risen to prominence in recent years after Ukraine used explosive‑laden speedboats to inflict significant damage on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

Iran has used sea drones to attack oil tankers in the Gulf at least twice since the U.S. and Israel began strikes nearly a month ago. There was no indication the U.S. had used uncrewed vessels for offensive strikes.

In response to Reuters’ questions, Tim Hawkins, a Pentagon spokesperson for Central Command, said unmanned vessels built by Maryland-based BlackSea, known as the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft, or GARC, had been used for patrols as part of the U.S. campaign against Iran, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.”

“U.S. forces continue to employ unmanned systems in the Middle East region, including surface drone assets like the GARC. This platform, in particular, has successfully logged over 450 underway hours and more than 2,200 nautical miles during maritime patrols in support of Operation Epic Fury,” Hawkins said in a statement.

Hawkins declined to name any of the other unmanned systems being deployed. BlackSea declined to comment for this story.

Navy struggles with drone boats

The U.S. has for years been trying to build a fleet of autonomous uncrewed surface and underwater vessels, as a cheaper and faster alternative to manned ships and submarines, particularly to counter China’s growing naval power in the Pacific. The effort, however, has fallen behind schedule and been dogged by technical problems, cost concerns and a series of testing setbacks.

Last year, Reuters reported the GARC, an angular speedboat about five meters long, was involved in multiple performance and safety issues, including one where it collided with another boat at speed during a military test.

In recent weeks, during another failed test in the Middle East, one GARC boat became inoperable, according to a source who was briefed on the matter.

Hawkins declined to comment on the testing setbacks.

“The GARC is an emerging capability and part of a fleet of surface drones operated by U.S. 5th Fleet to enhance awareness of what’s happening in regional waters,” he said.

The service commenced the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel Family of Systems program on Thursday, opening up solicitations for a specific class of boat touted as an integral part of the service’s Golden Fleet initiative.

“Our goal is to create a regular and recurring marketplace, not just for the MUSV, but for other classes of vessels as well, over time, designed to match the growing demand for unmanned systems across a range of missions,” said Rebecca Gassler, portfolio acquisition executive for the U.S. Navy’s robotic and autonomous systems.

Gassler, who spoke with reporters during a virtual Thursday media roundtable, said the marketplace was seeking production-ready, mission-capable vessels that were aligned with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle’s containerized capability campaign plan.

The CNO announced the plan during McAleese Defense Programs conference last week, detailing a vision in which modular payloads — or transportable containers housing defense capabilities such as drones and weapons — can be deployed to any region in the world.

The MUSV program was focused on demonstrated performance at sea, and not on the rigmarole of development, Gassler outlined.

The solicitation, which closes April 17, will analyze a company’s business plan, manufacturing plan, test plan and technical design.

From there, chosen companies and their medium unmanned surface vessels will complete an on-water test, which will be conducted by the end of the fiscal year.

After the Navy undergoes initial testing of these vessels, the service will offer a fixed price payment to companies that successfully complete the on-water test and move into production or a leasing agreement, Gassler said.

Speed and efficiency were front of mind.

There wouldn’t be a year of prototyping and development, according to Gassler. The Navy would look at a company’s business plan, manufacturing capabilities, do a test, and then it would be “off to the races” for production.

The first of the production vessel was expected be delivered in fiscal 2027.

As for the closure of MASC, Gassler said that the program was tailored toward a specific mission for a specific ask and quantity from the fleet, whereas the Navy had a much wider variety of requirements and mission types for the MUSVs in the Golden Fleet.

Announced in December 2025, the Golden Fleet will see the construction of new Trump-class battleships, which will reportedly be triple the size of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

Navy Secretary John Phelan applauded the new marketplace on social media Thursday.

“This new approach will leverage private investment and accelerate the delivery of real capabilities to the Fleet,” Phelan said in an X post. “We will reward the companies who are able to deliver capability at the speed of relevance.”

The Navy announced the Modular Attack Surface Craft, or MASC, program on July 28, 2025.

The program solicited the development of unmanned surface vehicles that were “non-exquisite” and could be constructed and maintained easily.

The program asked for USVs that were capable of carrying large containerized payloads that could accommodate a similar weight to the Navy’s anti-ballistic missile system, the Mark 70 Mod 1 Payload Delivery System.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill Act contained nearly $5 [billion] for US Navy unmanned programs, including $2.1B for medium unmanned surface vessels,” a Navy official told Military Times in an emailed statement. “Unmanned vessels will be integral to the Navy’s Golden Fleet and Hedge Strategy.”

The competition, which ran from March 15-19, is an international event designed to test combat readiness among elite, specialized snipers from across the joint force and partner nations.

“This competition represents the pinnacle of the sniper craft,” Army Col. Simon Powelson said in a release. “These competitors are not just here by chance; they are the product of intense and specialized training within their respective units.”

Participants included teams from the Army’s Green Berets and Rangers, Naval Special Warfare Command, Marine Forces Special Operations Command and Coast Guard units, as well as special operations forces from multiple allied nations.

At the end of the week, the Army Special Operations Command team took first place, followed by the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Group team.

Throughout the event, two-person sniper teams engaged targets at distances of up to 1,200 meters, using a variety of weapons, including sniper rifles, carbines and pistols.

Competitors completed both day and night operations, navigating challenging conditions. Rain, wind and cold plagued the event while adding realism to the exercises.

“The weather played a significant role,” Timothy Gozelski, sniper course instructor, mentioned in the release. “Being in sync with your teammate is equal in importance to communication. To be successful, the two have to talk and be on the same page in everything they do.”

Richard Cuza, another course instructor, added that communication in the harsh conditions was “beyond important; it’s crucial.”

The competition, now in its 17th year, was hosted by the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.

Special Forces sniper course instructors and leadership constructed the challenges and acted as scorekeepers.

Agreements made with Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems and Honeywell Aerospace will rapidly accelerate production of a wide array of missile components, including ballistic interceptors.

“Through this agreement, we are actively building the Arsenal of Freedom with speed and urgency,” Michael Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, said in a release. “By empowering industry to invest in the factory floor, we are building a decisive and enduring advantage for our warfighters to outpace any potential adversary.”

Lockheed will quadruple production levels of the Precision Strike Missile, which was used for the first time in combat against Iranian targets in Operation Epic Fury.

“Lockheed Martin delivers the advanced precision fires capabilities the warfighter needs, including the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), which expands deep-strike capability,” said Jim Taiclet, Chairman, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin, in a statement.

The company will also work with BAE Systems to ramp up output of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptor, or THAAD. BAE Systems announced that annual THAAD production rates will also quadruple.

Honeywell will rapidly increase production of critical missile components. These include navigation systems, electronic warfare mediums used on fighter jets and Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air, or AMRAAM, missiles, and the Assure actuator, which controls and maneuvers missiles in flight.

Jim Currier, president and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace, said in a statement that the company “is proud to embrace the challenge and meet this urgent need.”

All missile systems and components being surged have critical bearing on U.S. ability to defeat aerial threats, including one-way attack drones. The THAAD interceptor is designed to take down aerial threats including intermediate and short-range ballistic missiles flying at up to 17,000 miles an hour.

The PrsM features enhanced GPS capabilities, can hit targets from about 250 miles away and is compatible with both the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, launcher as well as the M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS, commonly used by European allies.

Lockheed recently tested a new version of the PrSM designed to strike moving targets at sea.

The seeker deal aligns with a contract agreement in January between the Pentagon and Lockheed to quadruple the company’s annual production of THAAD interceptors from 96 to 400.

“This new multiyear agreement provides a long-term demand signal that gives us the confidence to further invest in expanding our capacity,” Tom Arseneault, president and CEO of BAE Systems, said in a release Wednesday. “We remain focused on rapidly delivering superior technology at scale to help our warfighters maintain a decisive advantage.”

BAE’s THAAD seeker uses advanced sensors to find and lock onto incoming threats, including ballistic missiles traveling up to 17,000 miles per hour, according to company specifications.

Once locked on, the THAAD interceptor can take out threats both inside and beyond the atmosphere using a non-explosive, hit-to-kill impact.

Like Lockheed’s deal, the contract for BAE’s infrared seekers is set for seven years. Lockheed also announced a separate seven-year deal in January to increase annual production of its PAC-3 interceptors from 600 to 2,000 across the next seven years.

The deals come as the U.S. military’s reliance on costly interceptors against cheap munitions, particularly those used by Iran during Operation Epic Fury, has come under increased scrutiny.

Iran has no shortage of unmanned Shahed drones — reportedly producing 10,000 per month, according to Reuters. Contrast the $35,000 average cost of an Iranian Shahed drone with an estimated $4 million price tag of a PAC-3, and the cost exchange is 114-1 in favor of Iran.

But with deals in place to quadruple THAAD production, it’s clear the Pentagon views the systems as vital pieces in the defense architecture.

“Securing our supply chain is just as critical as our partnership with the prime contractors,” Michael Duffey, under secretary of defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, said Wednesday. “This agreement with BAE Systems sends a clear, stable, long-term demand signal. We are providing the certainty our partners need to invest, expand and hire. This is how we place the industrial base on a wartime footing.”

BAE Systems’ work on the THAAD seeker will be completed at the company’s facilities in Nashua, New Hampshire, and Endicott, New York.

The Grizzly system incorporates design elements of Lockheed’s M299 missile launchers, which can be configured three ways and can be used to shoot both the Hellfire and Joint Air-to-Ground Missile. Hellfire missiles can track targets autonomously and are used by the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and international partners over 15 platforms across air, land and sea domains.

“Our first live fire tests come just six months after the program began research and development, through internal Lockheed Martin investment, demonstrating our focus on quickly delivering a mobile and versatile launcher capability to defeat evolving threats,” Randy Crites, vice president of Lockheed Martin Advanced Programs, said in a statement.

Built out of low-cost commercially available materials, the containerized launcher can be easily lifted and transported by a wide variety of commercial freight and transport equipment, including trucks, aircraft and ships.

The development comes as the Navy is seeking the development of containerized payloads, which can potentially be placed on unmanned surface vessels to increase firepower and flexibility at sea.