SpaceX announced Wednesday that it has secured $1.6 billion in launch orders from the U.S. Space Force. The company will conduct 18 Falcon 9 missions by the end of 2027, carrying military satellites designed to detect and track airborne targets.

The launches were awarded through two task orders under the Space Force’s core launch procurement program. SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin and other selected U.S. providers will compete for additional military launch contracts under the program.

As the Trump administration moves forward with its “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative, SpaceX has secured at least $7 billion in Pentagon contracts this year. The multiyear defense program, estimated to cost about $185 billion, is expected to rely heavily on SpaceX for launch, satellite and space-based communications services.

In May, SpaceX received approximately $6.5 billion in Space Force satellite contracts. Of that amount, $4.16 billion was allocated to an airborne moving-target detection satellite network. Three days later, the company secured another $2.29 billion order for communications satellites capable of transmitting data almost instantly among missile-warning systems, tracking sensors and interceptors.

Space Force procurement official Eric Zarybnisky said the latest award resulted from an unusually fast two-month acquisition process. The service has been working to shorten procurement timelines and accelerate its purchase of spacecraft and launch services from private companies.

SpaceX currently holds a commanding position in the Pentagon’s military launch market. Some members of Congress have raised concerns that the Defense Department is becoming too dependent on a single provider. Space Force officials say they want to expand the launch industry and encourage greater competition.

SpaceX’s main competitors are facing technical setbacks. United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, has received Pentagon certification for its Vulcan rocket, but an investigation into a booster-separation system failure has continued for several months.

Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, is also investigating an explosion at the launchpad shortly before the planned fourth flight of its New Glenn rocket in May. The incident is expected to keep New Glenn grounded through at least the end of this year.