CACI's $212M Deal to Fortify U.S. Space Force's Digital Defenses

RESTON, VA – December 31, 2025 – CACI International Inc. has secured a pivotal five-year task order valued at up to $212 million to overhaul the digital backbone of the U.S. Space Force. The contract will deliver a sweeping modernization of enterprise-level networks across 14 separate installations, replacing aging infrastructure with secure, scalable, and software-defined systems designed for the rigors of 21st-century defense.

The award, made under the U.S. Air Force's broader Base Infrastructure Modernization (BIM) contract vehicle, tasks the national security firm with unifying and transforming the Space Force’s terrestrial Base Area Networks (BAN). These networks are the critical ground-based link for command, control, and communication with America's assets in orbit.

“CACI stands with America’s Guardians, delivering insights and keeping pace with evolving threats to ensure the Space Force has connectivity, across all classifications, when they need it most,” said John Mengucci, CACI President and Chief Executive Officer, in a statement accompanying the announcement. “At CACI, we have a proven history of delivering resilient, software-defined network infrastructure that is more secure and efficient. We are accelerating innovation and enabling success by delivering a modern infrastructure that supports high-bandwidth, high-security operations in a contested domain.”

The Strategic Imperative in a Contested Domain

The modernization effort is not merely a routine IT upgrade; it is a direct response to the strategic challenges facing the nation's newest military branch. The U.S. Space Force operates in what the Pentagon terms a “contested domain,” where potential adversaries are actively developing and deploying capabilities to disrupt, deny, or destroy American space-based systems. From satellite jamming and GPS spoofing to sophisticated cyberattacks, the threats to the systems that underpin global navigation, communication, and intelligence are growing in complexity and frequency.

Legacy military networks, often built in silos with outdated hardware, are increasingly seen as a critical vulnerability. They can be slow, difficult to manage, and lack the resilience needed to withstand a sophisticated attack. The Space Force’s strategic priority is to move towards a unified, data-centric architecture that allows for the secure and rapid sharing of information. This requires a network that is not only robust but also agile and intelligent enough to adapt to changing mission demands and an evolving threat landscape.

This contract addresses that need head-on, aiming to create an interoperable and secure foundation that supports everything from daily base operations to high-stakes, multi-domain command and control. By overhauling the ground infrastructure, the Space Force is hardening the essential links that allow its Guardians to protect and defend U.S. interests in space.

Inside the Tech: Software-Defined Defense

The core of CACI’s modernization strategy is the implementation of Software-Defined Networking (SDN). This advanced approach decouples network management from the physical hardware, allowing administrators to control the entire network through centralized software. The result is a far more agile, automated, and secure infrastructure compared to traditional, hardware-centric networks.

For the Space Force, this technology offers several transformative advantages. It enables the implementation of a Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), a modern cybersecurity model that is a top priority for the Department of Defense. Under a Zero Trust framework, no user or device is automatically trusted, even if it is inside the network perimeter. Access to resources is granted on a strictly need-to-know basis and is continuously verified. This dramatically reduces the network’s attack surface and limits a potential intruder's ability to move laterally through the system.

CACI brings a deep well of expertise in this area, having developed a “Zero Trust Architecture Playbook” for government agencies. The company also has a proven track record of modernizing networks for other military branches, including a recent $180 million task order to upgrade the Pacific Air Forces' networks and a $239 million project for the U.S. Army. The modernization will also facilitate secure cloud integration, allowing the Space Force to better leverage cloud computing for data processing and analytics while ensuring mission data remains protected.

Furthermore, CACI is an NSA-trusted integrator of Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) technology. This allows for the use of commercial-grade hardware and software, like tablets and laptops, to securely access classified networks, giving operators greater flexibility without compromising security.

A Strategic Win in a Competitive Field

Securing this task order is a significant strategic victory for CACI in a highly competitive defense contracting market. The Base Infrastructure Modernization IDIQ vehicle, which serves as the contracting umbrella, includes 24 other major companies, among them industry giants like General Dynamics Information Technology, Leidos, and Booz Allen Hamilton. Winning the Space Force modernization work solidifies CACI’s position as a premier provider of high-tech network solutions for national security customers.

While the $212 million value is a fraction of CACI's nearly $9 billion in annual revenue, its strategic importance outweighs its immediate financial impact. The contract aligns perfectly with the company's long-term strategy to shift from labor-intensive services toward higher-margin, proprietary technology and software products. It adds to an already massive total contract backlog, which stood at $33.9 billion as of September 2025, providing strong revenue visibility for years to come.

This project will create a resilient and adaptable digital foundation that is essential for the future of military operations. As the digital and physical worlds become ever more intertwined, the security and performance of the underlying network are paramount. By building a modernized ground network, CACI is directly enabling the Space Force to maintain its operational edge and protect the vital national assets orbiting far above the Earth.