The US will receive a weapon next year designed to jam Chinese and Russian satellites in the early stages of a potential conflict, the US Air Force told Bloomberg.
The technology — a L3Harris-developed electronic warfare system called “Meadowlands” — was originally scheduled for delivery in 2022.
Meadowlands can jam transmissions from satellites in orbit by using ground-based radio frequency units.
Features
The US currently employs 16 L3Harris Counter Communications System (CCS) mobile platforms that can shut down an adversary’s satellite connection, strategically positioned and operated by the Space Force and Air National Guard.
An upgraded version of the CCS, Meadowlands could be deployed and operated in battlefield scenarios, disrupting links to adversary satellites overhead that may be surveilling or targeting US forces on the ground.
Its reversible functionality allows operators to temporarily disrupt satellite operations and restore them when necessary.
Updating the CCS
The $124 million contract for upgrading the CCS to Meadowlands, signed in 2022, “will double the capability and upgrade units already in the field around the US and international locations,” L3Harris said at the time.
The upgrades aim to improve mission effectiveness, reduce size and power requirements, and increase automation.
The US Space Force plans to assess between January and March next year when the first five of a planned 32 systems can be declared operational, the service told Bloomberg.
Chinese and Russian Satellite Networks
Amid rising tensions between China and Taiwan and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the US is focused on protecting its communication systems from potential threats, including GPS signal interference.
Both Russia and China operate extensive satellite networks.
China launched its BeiDou global navigation satellite system in 2015, which now comprises over 30 satellites, while the Russian system called GLONASS, launched during the Soviet era, currently includes 24 satellites.
In 2020, the US Department of Defense published a report indicating that China was allegedly developing missiles capable of targeting satellites in both low and high orbits.