Project Hecate: The Space Force’s quiet effort to keep GPS survivable after 2040

Spc. Klay Walker, left, and Spc. Alexander Best with the 4th Space Company, 1st Space Battalion, establish expeditionary communications with a 1.2 meter Hawkeye antenna at Fort Carson, Colorado, Sept. 20, 2023 as part of a multi-domain operation. (U.S. Army photo by Dottie White)

By Theresa Hitchens • Feb 13, 2026

Alarmed by the ever-growing vulnerability of the venerable Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation to adversary attack, the Space Force has quietly been working to shape a future where US and allied troops have other options for navigating the battlefield and targeting the enemy, according to service sources.

Under a study called Project Hecate, the Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC) is analyzing how to create a multi-orbit network of space-based capabilities to ensure US military forces have access to position, navigation and timing (PNT) data in the post-2040 timeframe, officials said. That study is expected to conclude in the fall, and the findings are likely to impact future budget requests for the service.

The SWAC, officially activated in 2021, is charged with crafting so-called “force designs” that flesh out the Space Force’s desired future force structure over the next five to 15 years and serve as the foundational blueprints for budgetary investments in new capabilities and kit.