The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded Serco a five-year contract to continue operating and maintaining the United Kingdom’s long-range ballistic missile-warning radar at RAF Fylingdales in North Yorkshire. As part of the agreement, Serco will equip the Solid State Phased Array Radar (SSPAR) with the Enhanced Spacetrack Processor (ESP), a data-analysis system developed in cooperation with the Royal Air Force and UK Space Command. ESP will process raw radar information and assist analysts in determining the position, orbit, and size of objects detected by the radar. The new processor will replace the United Kingdom Spacetrack Processor, a Serco-developed system that has been in use for more than three decades. The SSPAR forms part of the Upgraded Early Warning Radar system operated jointly by the UK and US governments. It is capable of detecting objects as small as a Coke can at distances of up to 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers) into space. During 2025, the radar tracked more than 5.9 million objects in Low Earth Orbit, while Serco provided real-time analysis of orbital events. The company also maintains continuous 24/7 support at RAF Fylingdales, covering radar hardware and systems maintenance as well as analysis and training activities. The new five-year contract is scheduled to begin in April 2027 and includes an option for an additional two-year extension.
