What is the Sentinel A4 radar used for?

The Sentinel A4 is a counter-UAS radar system used by the U.S. Army to detect and track low-altitude aerial threats such as drone swarms and loitering munitions in all-weather conditions. The A4 variant features improved detection range, target identification accuracy, and enhanced resistance to electronic jamming compared to earlier versions.

Why did only one company bid on this $3 billion contract?

Only Lockheed Martin submitted a bid, reflecting the company's established dominance in Sentinel radar technology. The U.S. Army had already been operating earlier Sentinel variants produced by Lockheed Martin, giving the company a significant incumbency advantage in terms of technical expertise, production infrastructure, and system integration knowledge.

Lockheed Martin Wins $3B Pentagon Contract to Produce Sentinel C-UAS Radar

Q: When is the Lockheed Martin Sentinel radar contract expected to be completed?

The contract is scheduled for completion on June 29, 2031. It is managed by the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, with work performed primarily at Lockheed Martin's Liverpool, New York facility.

The U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth approximately $2.999 billion to produce Sentinel A4 radar systems and provide engineering services. The contract, managed by Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, uses a hybrid pricing structure and is set for completion by June 29, 2031. It is considered one of the largest single counter-UAS sensor procurement contracts in recent history.

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Highlights

The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $2,998,742,163 contract to produce Sentinel A4 counter-UAS radar systems and provide engineering services.

The contract uses a hybrid pricing structure combining Fixed-Price-Incentive, Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee, and Cost-No-Fee arrangements, with a completion deadline of June 29, 2031.

Only one bid was received for this solicitation, awarded to Lockheed Martin's Liverpool, New York division, highlighting the company's near-monopoly position in Sentinel radar production.

The Sentinel A4 radar provides all-weather detection and tracking of drone swarms, loitering munitions, and low-altitude aerial threats, with enhanced ECCM capabilities over previous versions.

This contract is considered one of the largest single counter-UAS sensor procurement actions in recent U.S. military history, reflecting accelerating Army investment in counter-drone capabilities.

Lockheed Martin Wins $3B Pentagon Contract to Produce Sentinel C-UAS Radar

The U.S. Army has formally awarded Lockheed Martin Corp. a major defense contract valued at $2,998,742,163 for the production of Sentinel A4 radar systems and associated engineering services.

Key Contract Details

The contract employs a hybrid pricing structure, combining Fixed-Price-Incentive, Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee, and Cost-No-Fee arrangements to accommodate varying levels of risk and complexity across different work items.

The contract is administered by the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. The solicitation was issued publicly via the internet and received only a single bid, awarded exclusively to Lockheed Martin's Liverpool, New York division.

Work locations and funding allocations will be determined on a per-order basis, with a contract completion date of June 29, 2031.

Sentinel A4 Radar and the Counter-UAS Mission

The Sentinel radar family serves as one of the U.S. Army's core sensors within its Counter-UAS (C-UAS) architecture. The system is designed for all-weather detection and tracking of low-altitude aerial threats, including drone swarms, loitering munitions, and other low-flying airborne threats.

The latest A4 variant delivers significant improvements in detection range, target identification accuracy, and electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) capability, enabling more effective integration into layered air defense networks.

Industry Significance

The contract's scale — combined with the fact that only one bid was received — underscores Lockheed Martin's dominant technical position in this niche. As drone threats continue to escalate globally, the U.S. Army is ramping up procurement and deployment of counter-UAS radar systems. This contract is widely regarded as one of the largest single counter-UAS sensor procurement actions in recent years.

For the broader drone industry, this award signals a significant expansion of the U.S. military's counter-drone detection capabilities, with potential technology spillover and collaboration opportunities worth monitoring closely.

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