Kristen Smith 
- LeoLabs has fielded Scout-S, its first transportable 3D search radar, in the Indo-Pacific
- The container-sized system is participating in an experiment at INDOPACOM’s Valiant Shield 2026 exercise
- The Scout program is backed by Space Force funding, including a $4 million SpaceWERX award
LeoLabs has deployed Scout-S, the first system in a new class of transportable, three-dimensional search radars built to strengthen battlespace awareness for U.S. and allied space operations.
The company said Wednesday the initial Scout-S unit, fielded in the Indo-Pacific, began observing satellites within hours of being switched on and is now feeding data into the LeoLabs catalog of more than 26,000 objects tracked through its global radar network. The system is involved in an experiment at the Valiant Shield 2026 exercise led by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, serving as a testbed for future capabilities.
Space domain awareness and the technologies shaping U.S. and allied operations in orbit will be discussed at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30. The event will gather top U.S. Air Force and Space Force leaders — including Gen. John Lamontagne, vice chief of staff of the Department of the Air Force — alongside industry executives for a full day of keynotes, panels and networking on the advanced capabilities needed to stay ahead in the air and space domains. Register now to secure your spot.
“The threat has changed and so should the architecture,” said Tony Frazier, CEO of LeoLabs and a six-time Wash100 Award winner. Frazier noted that the traditional method of tracking objects to predict their orbits no longer suffices, emphasizing the need for continuous custody of maneuverable payloads to respond to emerging threats — the mission Scout-S was designed to support.
What Can the Scout-S Radar Do?
Scout-S pairs 3D scanning with direct radiating array technology and a modular S-band electronic design, allowing it to conduct uncued searches, discover new objects and maintain sustained tracks on high-interest targets in low Earth orbit and very low Earth orbit. Its search-to-track and track-while-scan modes support dynamic monitoring of activities such as non-cooperative launches.
The radar fits inside a 20-foot container, built according to global size, strength and durability rules set by the International Organization for Standardization. It allows for rapid land, sea or air transport, enabling quick repositioning and reconstitution in contested environments to complement fixed-site sensors. According to LeoLabs, Scout-S lengthens observation windows from seconds to several minutes per orbital pass, giving operators more time to characterize how an object is behaving before making decisions.
Early results from the Indo-Pacific deployment include sustained tracking of Chinese intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites; continuous custody of China’s spaceplane, a secretive, reusable robotic spacecraft; and the detection of an object as low as 230 kilometers.
How Does Scout-S Fit Into LeoLabs’ Broader Radar Strategy?
Scout-S marks a milestone for the company’s wider Scout family of transportable radars, an effort funded in part by a U.S. Space Force Tactical Funding Increase award alongside private investment. LeoLabs is planning future Scout variants capable of multi-domain battlespace awareness and missile warning and tracking.
The company introduced the Scout expeditionary radar in April 2025 to monitor foreign launches and support space domain awareness missions, with plans at the time to build up to five units within the year amid strong interest from the Department of War. In July 2025, Space Force innovation arm SpaceWERX awarded LeoLabs a $4 million TACFI to upgrade Scout’s foreign launch detection and tracking software and plan track-while-scan capabilities against missiles, hypersonic glide vehicles and other maneuverable objects.
The TACFI followed a $60 million Strategic Funding Increase that SpaceWERX issued in March 2025 for an ultra-high frequency radar in the Indo-Pacific, expected to be operational by January 2027.
The new Scout system joins a global network that includes the company’s Seeker UHF radar and Tracker phased array radars in Australia, Costa Rica, Texas, New Zealand and the Azores.
