AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) has secured a front-row seat in the most ambitious U.S. missile defense overhaul in decades, joining the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) program.
The selection, announced Friday, positions the Midland, Texas-based company as a prime contractor eligible to bid on task orders within a $151 billion, 10-year framework.
SHIELD serves as the technical backbone for the "Golden Dome" strategy—the second Trump Administration’s initiative to create a "system of systems" capable of intercepting ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missile threats across all operational domains.
The award validates the "dual-use" nature of AST SpaceMobile’s technology.
While the company is primarily known for building a space-based cellular broadband network for consumer smartphones, its "BlueBird" satellites feature the largest commercial phased arrays ever deployed in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
For the MDA, these massive arrays offer a scalable architecture for advanced sensing, tactical communications, and battle management that can be rapidly deployed and more easily replaced than traditional, multi-billion-dollar military satellites.
"Being selected as a prime awardee for SHIELD is a major validation of our unique on-orbit technology," said Chris Ivory, Head of Government Business at AST SpaceMobile.
"Our LEO architecture is inherently resilient, allowing us to align our cutting-edge space tech with the critical needs of the Department of War."
The company’s 95% vertical integration—with manufacturing headquartered in Texas—was a key factor in the selection, aligning with federal mandates for secure, domestic supply chains.
AST SpaceMobile currently operates 500,000 square feet of facilities and expects to ramp up production to six satellites per month by the end of 2026.