Air Force Space Command boss Gen. Kevin Chilton, told attendees at the Colorado Springs space symposium last week that the things that can threaten his command’s ability to preserve space effects for the warfighters include simple malfunctions like a software code issue, broken wire, or burned out amplifier, or unintentional “blue on blue” jamming, or even weather—both terrestrial and space—problems, space debris, and “nefarious operations.” To confront any of these threats, AFSPC must have “appropriate space situational awareness,” said Chilton. He continued: “I want to be predictive in this area. I want to have focused intelligence invested in our space operations to the point that I’m getting tips and cues; that I know before they launch—what’s coming. That’s the kind of focused intelligence every commander demands in the domain they operate in.” (Chilton’s full remarks.)
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.