The 21st Operations Group, located at Peterson AFB, Colo., assumed responsibility for the Cobra Dane radar at Eareckson Air Station on Shemya Island, Alaska, announced Peterson officials. “The Cobra Dane radar will support the 21st Space Wing missile defense and space situational awareness missions,” said Lt. Col. Paul Tombarge, 21st OG commander, in Peterson’s April 5 release. The wing took on the radar mission on April 1, states the release. The radar will fall under the oversight of the 13th Space Warning Squadron at Clear AFS, Alaska, and will be designated as 13th SWS, Operating Location-Cobra Dane, said Tombarge. Contractors will continue to operate the radar and the squadron will assign no military personnel to Eareckson, states the release. The island is located on the western tip of the Aleutian chain, approximately 1,500 miles southwest of Anchorage. The 120-foot-tall radar has the ability to detect objects about 2,000 miles away, according to the release. (Peterson report by Steve Brady) (See also Cobra Dane Returns to Air Force.)
The Air Force is shoring up its cyber defenses both on and off base for critical infrastructure such as water and electrical power, and industry experts are calling for more, even specialized, dedicated microgrids offsite to support USAF operations in case of a total blackout caused by cyberattacks.
