The Space Force formally accepted its Meadowlands jammer for operational use earlier this month, an upgrade to its current electronic warfare portfolio.
Built by L3Harris, the upgraded satellite signal jammer is more mobile and compact than its predecessor, the Counter Communications System. The company delivered the first Meadowlands production unit late last year and is working toward a delivery cadence of one unit per month. The operational acceptance milestone, which the service announced June 26, paves the way for the Space Force to employ the system in combat.
“Able to detect, deny, disrupt, and degrade adversary capabilities in active defense of joint force objectives, Meadowlands is a critical upgrade to the Counter Communications System (CCS) 10.2,” the Space Force said. “This advancement in the Department of War’s reversible and nonreversible capabilities further secures the invisible frontline on the electromagnetic spectrum.”
Meadowlands is operated by Mission Delta 3, which specializes in space electronic warfare. Not only is the upgraded system easier to deploy, but it allows operators to target multiple signals at a faster rate and is well-suited to jam the types of long haul communication systems used in austere environments like the desert. Guardians from Mission Delta 3 have been involved in the design, development, and testing process.
The capability is one of just a handful of space weapons the Space Force has revealed publicly, and its operational acceptance comes as the USSF looks to increase its investment in counterspace systems. Its fiscal 2027 budget includes $21 billion for “space control” programs. a term the service uses to describe the offensive and defensive measures it takes to secure the domain. That request is a 158 percent increase over fiscal 2026, with much of that funding in the Space Force’s classified budget.
For the Meadowlands upgrade, the service wants $450 million for production in fiscal 2027. It projects it will spend another $605 million to buy additional systems between fiscal 2028 and 2031. The upgrade leverages existing CCS hardware, replacing electronics and reducing the number of boxes required to transport the system from 23 to seven.
The request also includes about $40 million for Counter Communication System research and development. About $29 million of that would be used for an effort called the Electromagnetic Threat Integration Program, which aims to develop software capabilities and EW tactics. In fiscal 2027, the funding would support the development of new techniques as well as new antenna hardware and testing.
As the Space Force looks to buy more systems to counter EW threats, its fiscal 2027 budget request also seeks funding to stand up five new space electronic warfare tactical operations centers, or SEWTOCs. Today, Mission Delta 3 operates a single SEWTOC at Peterson Space Force Base, Colo. The service has stressed the need for the more resilient ops centers but has declined to say how much funding its budget includes for the effort.