Space Force Awards $212M Contract for Base Network Overhaul

The U.S. Space Force is moving to modernize computer networks across its 14 bases after awarding a $212 million task order to defense contractor CACI International. The five-year contract will upgrade both classified and unclassified network infrastructure while implementing zero trust security architecture.

The award came in at 77% below the initial government estimate—a detail the Pentagon highlighted as evidence of cost-saving collaboration between Air Force Materiel Command and the Department of Government Efficiency.

What's Being Upgraded

Under Base Infrastructure Modernization Task Order 3, CACI will provide resilient, high-throughput connectivity across all Space Force installations. The scope includes:

• Classified and unclassified network infrastructure upgrades
• Zero trust architecture implementation
• Cloud capability integration
• Contested domain readiness improvements

The contract covers Space Force bases across the continental United States, including Patrick Space Force Base in Florida, Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It also includes Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, the service's only overseas installation.

Why This Matters for Cybersecurity

Space Force networks support some of the most sensitive military operations in existence—satellite communications, missile warning systems, GPS, and space surveillance. These systems represent high-value targets for adversaries, particularly China and Russia.

The shift to zero trust architecture reflects lessons learned from breaches across the defense industrial base and federal agencies. Traditional perimeter-based security assumes everything inside the network can be trusted. Zero trust assumes nothing can be trusted and requires continuous verification regardless of where connections originate.

For the Space Force specifically, implementing zero trust addresses the reality that space systems face attacks from multiple vectors: ground stations, uplink/downlink communications, and the networks that tie it all together. Compromising any of these can affect military operations globally.

Broader Pentagon Cyber Investment

This contract fits within a larger push to modernize military cyber capabilities. Congress is set to approve approximately $15.1 billion for cyber operations and defenses under the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act—one of the largest increases in recent years.

The Space Force has outlined three priorities for its cyber posture:

1. Develop cyber Guardians - Build personnel with specialized skills in space-focused cyber operations
2. Organize combat-ready forces - Structure units for rapid response to cyber threats against space assets
3. Deliver cyber-resilient capabilities - Ensure space systems can operate even when under attack

These priorities acknowledge that adversaries view cyber attacks against space infrastructure as asymmetric opportunities. Disrupting satellite communications or navigation could degrade U.S. military effectiveness without directly engaging kinetic forces.

The Broader Infrastructure Challenge

The Base Infrastructure Modernization contract vehicle—the umbrella under which this task order was awarded—represents a $12.5 billion effort to overhaul aging Air Force and Space Force networks. CACI was one of 22 vendors selected in 2024 to compete for work under this program.

Legacy military networks often run outdated systems that can't support modern security architectures. Patching decades-old infrastructure while maintaining operations is notoriously difficult. The Space Force, being the newest military branch, has fewer legacy constraints but also inherited some infrastructure from the Air Force Space Command it replaced.

Zero trust implementation at this scale is complex. It requires rethinking how users, devices, and applications authenticate and communicate. Every connection needs verification. Every access request needs evaluation. Getting this wrong creates operational friction that can degrade mission effectiveness.

The 77% cost savings cited by the Pentagon suggests either extremely competitive bidding, scope optimization, or both. Defense contracts rarely come in that far under initial estimates without significant adjustments to requirements or execution strategy.

What to Watch

Implementation timelines for large defense IT modernization projects often slip. The five-year period of performance provides runway, but zero trust architecture isn't something you flip on overnight. Each base will need assessment, planning, deployment, and validation cycles.

Success here could inform similar modernization efforts across other military branches. The lessons learned—both technical and operational—from securing Space Force infrastructure will likely influence broader DoD cybersecurity strategy.

For organizations in the defense industrial base, this contract signals continued investment in zero trust and cloud-enabled security architectures. Vendors aligned with these approaches should see sustained demand as modernization efforts extend beyond the Space Force to the broader military network infrastructure.