The U.S. Space Force has tapped CACI International to develop and sustain technology that will modernise test, training and range architectures used to prepare personnel for contested space operations. The award sits under the National Space Test and Training Complex (NSTTC) NITE‑STAR contract vehicle and is among multiple winners on an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity arrangement.
Contract scope and partners
CACI will work with the Space Force’s Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (OTTI) and its SYD 81 organisation to design, develop and deploy tailored capabilities across live, virtual and constructive (LVC) environments. The effort is intended to enhance testing, evaluation and training operations so systems can be rigorously validated and Guardians are prepared for realistic operational scenarios and advanced threats in space.
“This award marks the first of many opportunities to bring together the combined strengths of CACI and ARKA to deliver next‑generation space capabilities for the U.S. Space Force,”
The statement came from Andreas Nonnenmacher, CACI senior vice‑president of space. He added that as the space domain becomes “increasingly contested”, the technologies will help accelerate mission readiness and strengthen America’s advantage in space.
Contract mechanics and scale
The NITE‑STAR arrangement is a multiple‑award IDIQ where CACI is one of 15 awardees. The total vehicle is valued at up to $981 million, structured across two five‑year periods. Under such a contract, teams compete for task orders that specify work, allowing the Space Force to draw on a pool of suppliers for different capabilities over the duration.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Contract vehicle | NITE‑STAR (NSTTC Innovative Technology & Engineering – Space Test and Range) |
| Number of awardees | 15 |
| Maximum value | $981 million (over two five‑year periods) |
What CACI says it brings
In its release, CACI described itself as a “technology‑first national security company” that provides advanced technologies to help customers operate more efficiently and respond to evolving threats. The company highlighted a workforce of 27,000 employees as part of its capacity to deliver at scale.
- Work will span space and ground‑based capabilities to support realistic training and testing.
- Deliverables are expected to improve validation of systems and accelerate mission readiness for the Space Force.
- The IDIQ structure allows the service to task multiple vendors for a range of specialised technologies.
The announcement frames the award as an early step in a longer partnership between CACI and ARKA to provide next‑generation capabilities. The Space Force faces a growing challenge: adversaries are investing in counterspace capabilities, and the service has prioritised operational realism in training and testing to ensure resilience and readiness.
By choosing a multiple‑award IDIQ, the Space Force retains flexibility to source competitive task orders from a broad supplier base while avoiding the delays associated with single‑vendor procurements. That approach is common in defence procurement where technical risk and rapid iteration require multiple suppliers and modular delivery models.
The immediate next phase will be the definition and award of task orders that specify work packages, timelines and performance metrics. Those task orders will reveal the technical priorities — whether emphasis falls on simulation fidelity, cyber‑resilient architectures, integration of space‑domain awareness sensors, or other specialised capabilities.
For now, the news underscores a broader trend: the Space Force and its partners are investing in modernised test and training systems to keep pace with an increasingly contested operating environment, drawing on commercial and government suppliers to accelerate capability delivery.
