The U.S. Department of War announced an investment of $11.4 million in Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III funds to Stellant Systems on August 27, 2026. This funding aims to enhance the manufacturability and capability of space-based Traveling-Wave Tube Amplifier (TWTA) production at Stellant's facility in Torrance, California, aligning with Executive Order 14369 to strengthen American space industrial base capabilities.
Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy, the Honorable Michael Cadenazzi, emphasized the strategic importance of this investment. "This manufacturing capability is essential to support existing and future DoW and commercial needs for TWTAs," Cadenazzi said, adding that it "will greatly reduce schedule, cost, and performance risks to U.S. government satellite programs." The DPA Title III funds will specifically enable pilot production and qualification of a space-based TWTA covering the 71-76 gigahertz (GHz) downlink band and improve the manufacturability of a modernized Dual Digital Electronic Power Conditioner.
TWTAs are critical components in most satellite-based communication systems, serving commercial, military, and national security satellites. They often represent the only reliable means for satellite-based radio frequency amplification across various frequency and power combinations. This investment is one of seven DPA Title III investments, totaling $121.1 million, made by the Warfighting Investments, Resourcing, and Executions (WIRE) directorate since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2026, with recipient cost shares amounting to $15.0 million.