WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force estimates it would need more than $4 billion to fund a proliferated low Earth orbit constellation known as MILNET that would provide global communications services, making it the largest item in the service’s fiscal year 2026 “unfunded priorities list” submitted to Congress last week.

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Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...