The U.S. Space Force is preparing to begin government testing of its next-generation ground-based satellite jammer, which it hopes will significantly improve the system’s mobility, user-friendly interface, and effectiveness as an electronic warfare platform. L3Harris, the developer of the Core Countermeasures Communications System (CCS), announced April 8 that the modernized capability, dubbed Meadowlands, recently passed a successful validation review, paving the way for the system to be delivered to the Space Force for development and operational testing.
CCS is a critical system that uses radio signals to intercept enemy communications. The Meadowlands version has a frequency range that significantly expands its interception capability. In addition, its lighter structure compared to previous versions offers a significant advantage in terms of mobility. The system’s open architecture will allow for more regular and easy software updates in the future.
Colonel Bryon McClain, program manager for space domain awareness, said one of the key innovations of Meadowlands is the increased level of automation over previous versions, which will require fewer operators “sitting next to the antenna and turning knobs and pushing buttons.” “It helps us improve our remote command and control capability, which allows us to adjust the personnel footprint,” McClain said during a briefing at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. “It gives us a lot of flexibility for the warfighter.”
The Department of Defense fielded the first version of the CCS in 2004 and has funded various upgrades to the system since then. The Space Force currently has 11 CCS units operational. Under the contract with L3Harris, five of those units are planned to be converted to the new Meadowlands configuration. Two of those units were delivered for testing last week, according to a company spokesperson. The service will eventually upgrade all legacy systems to the Meadowlands variant, Colonel McClain said. L3Harris also has a production contract to design and deliver more than 20 Meadowlands platforms, including training systems.
While much of the Space Force’s anti-space weapons portfolio is classified, CCS is the first publicly disclosed anti-space capability by the service. Since its fielding, the Space Force has also publicly announced the delivery of other satellite jamming systems, including the Remote Modular Terminal program developed by the Space Rapid Capabilities Office.
In recent months, the need to expand the service’s weapons arsenal has been made clear by China, Russia and other U.S. rivals developing their own space weapons and conducting offensive maneuvers last year that one Space Force general described as “satellite air combat.”
The head of U.S. Space Command, Gen. Stephen Whiting, echoed recent comments from Space Force officials calling for greater offensive capabilities during a speech at the April 8 symposium. “We need the weapons,” Whiting said. “We need them to deter space conflict and to be successful if we engage in that conflict. Weapons in space used to be unthinkable, but space-based interceptors are now a fundamental component of how we win.” The start of testing the Meadowlands system is seen as a significant step toward strengthening the Space Force’s electronic warfare capabilities and increasing its deterrence against potential threats in the space domain.
