The U.S. Space Force is making progress in deploying its initial set of ground-based satellite communications jammers. These jammers are specifically designed to disrupt signals emitted by hostile spacecraft.
The Remote Modular Terminals have been approved for initial fielding by Space Operations Command, according to a spokesperson from Defense News. They further stated that the military users will soon have access to the jammers.
The Space Force intends to deploy 11 systems in its initial release, allowing units to test and utilize the system before it is officially operational. With funding allocated for the construction of approximately 160 systems, the service anticipates a potential requirement for up to 200 systems in the future.
The RMT program is led by the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, an agile acquisition team located at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. According to Space RCO Director Kelly Hammett, the primary purpose of the small, modular terminals is to disrupt the adversary’s satellite communications, particularly those that are monitoring the U.S. and its allies in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
During a media briefing at the Spacepower Conference in Orlando, Florida, Hammett emphasized the objective of disrupting the enemy’s communication, kill chains, and targeting links. He explained that these systems are designed to prevent the transmission of information between sensors observing joint forces, satellites, and battle management nodes. The intention is to impede the flow of data in both directions.
The U.S. has expressed significant concerns regarding the surveillance satellites launched by China in recent years. These advanced systems, known as Yaogan, have the capability to provide continuous and uninterrupted coverage of the Indo-Pacific theater. Their main purpose is to identify any gaps in the positioning of U.S. and allied forces. The most recent iteration, Yaogan-41, was launched into geostationary orbit towards the end of last year. It is equipped with the ability to track objects as small as cars, as revealed in a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in January 2024.
According to Hammett, the RMT jammers will effectively disrupt the radars and prevent them from instructing other systems to launch attacks on U.S. assets.
Hammett did not disclose the specific locations where the first systems will be deployed, but he did mention that they have already been identified. During a Space Industry Days conference in Los Angeles, Hammett mentioned that operators will have the capability to control these systems from various locations in the U.S., even if they are deployed globally.
The Space RCO granted contracts for the program a mere 18 months ago, collaborating with a small Virginia-based company called Northstrat. To harness the power of readily available technology, the company joined forces with a larger entity, CACI, to develop the terminals.
According to Hammett, the terminals are compact in size and come with a price tag of approximately $1.5 million each.
He expressed that when it comes to space electronic warfare, it doesn’t get much better than that.
Courtney Albon serves as C4ISRNET’s space and emerging technology reporter, bringing her expertise in covering the U.S. military since 2012, with a specific focus on the Air Force and Space Force. Throughout her career, she has tackled some of the Defense Department’s most notable acquisition, budget, and policy challenges