The manufacturing process will leverage MDA’s international footprint, splitting production between the United Kingdom and Canada. Engineers at the U.K. facility are tasked with developing the digital beam-forming technology, a critical component designed to provide advanced anti-jamming capabilities across multiple beams. Meanwhile, the Montreal operations center will handle the final assembly, testing, and qualification of the hardware before it is shipped to Japan for integration.

This award bolsters MDA Space's order backlog as the firm moves into the second quarter of its 2026 fiscal year. By upgrading the current DSN-2 infrastructure, the Japanese government seeks to modernize its orbital defense assets, ensuring greater resilience for military communications networks.