The Space Data Network: Backbone or Single Point of Failure?

The budget made the mesh decision; the fight now is execution and concentration. 2027 shifts transport from SDA’s Tranche 3 plans to an SDN backbone and instead funds a $1.6 billion Proliferated LEO SATCOM line identified as the former MILNET entirely from reconciliation money, recasts the PWSA transport layer as an enclave, kills OCX, and zeroes Next-Gen OPIR Polar. A reconciliation-funded, heavily SpaceX-anchored backbone versus proliferation doctrine is a worthwhile debate.