Army awards L3Harris $36 million for Hawkeye 4 Lite SATCOM terminals

The U.S. Army awarded the $36 million contract to L3Harris Technologies, dated Nov. 3, 2026, to supply Hawkeye 4 Lite satellite communications terminals for the C2NOW program, also called Command and Control Network Optimized for Warfighting, and L3Harris announced the award from Melbourne, Fla.

The award worth $36 million takes the form of a delivery order instead of a standalone contract, with L3Harris supplying Hawkeye 4 Lite ground terminals to give expeditionary connectivity to tactical units and coalition forces. A delivery order is an order placed under an existing contract vehicle.

Man-portable and flyaway, the Hawkeye 4 Lite is a 1.3-meter very small aperture terminal, commonly called a VSAT, meaning a compact satellite ground station that can be carried to the field and set up quickly, able to be rapidly assembled in contested tactical settings without specialized tools. A modular design lets operators swap baseband and radio frequency parts to support multiple frequency bands and better connectivity.

The terminals belong to the Hawkeye 4 VSAT product line from L3Harris Technologies, built for rapid deployment and interoperability with allied forces. Interoperability means different forces’ systems can work together. They support expeditionary connectivity, meaning able to operate in the field away from permanent bases, letting tactical units and coalition forces communicate effectively across dispersed operational theaters. The award supports the Army’s effort to modernize command-and-control communications for expeditionary use in tactical environments.

Hawkeye 4 Lite can transmit over X-band, Ku-band, and Ka-band frequencies, linking with satellites in geostationary and medium Earth orbits. Multi-orbit means linking with satellites in more than one orbital regime, and constellations are groups of satellites working together. Geostationary satellites remain fixed over one point on Earth, while medium Earth orbit satellites operate at lower altitudes. X-band, Ku-band, and Ka-band are radio frequency bands used to carry satellite communications links.

It is built to carry low-latency tactical voice, high-definition video, and mission command data at the tactical edge, the forward edge of operations where units conduct their missions. Mission command is the command of forces to accomplish a mission. Low-latency means minimal delay in transmission. That ability helps commanders make decisions in real time, meaning immediately with negligible delay, in contested settings.

The terminals are set up to improve interoperability with NATO partners, in line with Tactically Responsive Space concepts for quickly activating orbital and ground segments. This interoperability supports the Army’s goal of expandable data handling and a unified command approach across dispersed operational theaters. Ground-segment activation means switching on the ground-based portion of a satellite system.

Hawkeye 4 Lite deliveries will start in early 2027, with fielding going to active and reserve forward-deployed brigade combat teams. Forward-deployed means stationed near potential areas of operations. The fielding connects to progress on the C2NOW program and the Next Generation Command and Control modernization effort.

The award builds on an earlier $27 million U.S. Army contract for SATCOM terminals provided to L3Harris to boost expeditionary ground segment readiness. SATCOM is short for satellite communications. The ground segment is the ground-based part of a satellite communications system. That earlier deal supported the Army’s work to modernize satellite communications for tactical units.

Adding Hawkeye 4 Lite marks a key stage in the Army’s shift from legacy command architectures to the distributed Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) network. Legacy command architectures are older command and control systems. That move shifts the Army away from legacy command architectures toward a distributed network.