Space Force gets first mobile high-powered electromagnetic beam weapon to cripple enemy satellites — plans to deploy 32 ‘Meadowlands’ units to detect, deny, disrupt, and degrade hostile space assets

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System uses directional antennas and high‑power RF amplifiers for highly targeted electromagnetic warfare.

Meadowlands mobile electromagnetic warfare system
(Image credit: U.S. Space Systems Command)

U.S. Space Force Combat Forces Command has announced that the first Meadowlands Counter Communications System (CCS) has been delivered for operational duty. This is a powerful new electromagnetic warfare (EW) device in a wheeled mobile and air-transportable form factor, designed to detect, deny, disrupt, and degrade adversary capabilities around the globe and in space. To be clear, Meadowlands isn’t a laser, microwave, particle, or plasma weapon. Instead, its highly targeted electromagnetic warfare abilities rely on a muscular array of directional antennas and high‑power RF amplifiers.

“We have exceptionally trained and skilled electromagnetic warfare professionals who are highly motivated and excited about integrating this new Meadowlands capability,” said U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Ryan Skilling, 4th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron commander. “This upgraded system enables us to more effectively and efficiently support the joint scheme of maneuver across the continuum of conflict.”

Meadowlands arrives to provide a critical upgrade to the existing Counter Communications System (CCS) 10.2, notes Space Force. The new system’s advances are described as a “huge milestone” in capability, as well as being lighter, more compact, and more easily transportable. Meadowlands is set to be part of a robust toolkit that will help deliver “spectrum dominance” to the U.S. Space Command and Department of War.

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The efficacy of systems like Meadowlands has already been demonstrated in joint force applications like Operation Midnight Hammer. In this example, EW systems were used to successfully create a “silence zone” over Iran for hours to ensure secure bomber ingress and egress during that operation. Meadowlands units can operate in both forward austere environments and from secure rear echelons.

In addition to silence zones, typical EW tasks Meadowlands will be used for include interference with enemy satellite functions, and jamming uplink and/or downlink signals. More cunningly it can change or corrupt data packets, initiate feedback loops, and spoof enemy assets.

While it celebrates the arrival of its first operational next-gen CCS, Space Force Combat Forces Command intends to build its Meadowlands fleet to 32 units in due course.

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Mark Tyson
Mark Tyson
News Editor

Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • alan.campbell99
    Hmm, what are the odds a few starlink sats get in the way of any beams, whoops?
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    alan.campbell99 said:
    Hmm, what are the odds a few starlink sats get in the way of any beams, whoops?
    Why would you think that might happen?

    The DoD and Space Force is a direct customer of the StarLink tech.

    https://www.spacex.com/starshieldhttps://spacenews.com/spacex-wins-2-29-billion-space-force-contract-for-military-data-network/
    Reply
  • Michael Pun
    Starlink on balloon technology wouldn't get it. They would just fly on a conventional high altitude jet to use it. They have been using these energy beams called DEWs for a long time. Us peons just didn't know about it.
    Reply
  • usertests
    alan.campbell99 said:
    Hmm, what are the odds a few starlink sats get in the way of any beams, whoops?
    Gotta read the article. This is not a maser or something that will light drones on fire or fry satellites to a crisp. It's an advanced jammer with spoofing and other capabilities.

    To be clear, Meadowlands isn’t a laser, microwave, particle, or plasma weapon. Instead, its highly targeted electromagnetic warfare abilities rely on a muscular array of directional antennas and high‑power RF amplifiers.
    In addition to silence zones, typical EW tasks Meadowlands will be used for include interference with enemy satellite functions, and jamming uplink and/or downlink signals. More cunningly it can change or corrupt data packets, initiate feedback loops, and spoof enemy assets.

    It could be so precisely targeted that there would be effectively no chance of affecting Starlink on accident. Maybe Starlink satellites can operate for a bit (as in maintaining their orbit) while being jammed, and since they are in VLEO orbits, they are getting out of the way in a hurry, unlike geostationary satellites for example.
    Reply
  • call101010
    why not just shoot them down ? why allow them to get closer anyways?
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    call101010 said:
    why not just shoot them down ? why allow them to get closer anyways?
    More cunningly it can change or corrupt data packets, initiate feedback loops, and spoof enemy assets.
    Reply
  • qxp
    usertests said:
    It could be so precisely targeted that there would be effectively no chance of affecting Starlink on accident. Maybe Starlink satellites can operate for a bit (as in maintaining their orbit) while being jammed, and since they are in VLEO orbits, they are getting out of the way in a hurry, unlike geostationary satellites for example.
    We can estimate how precisely they can target it. The usual formula for the angle of the beam is lambda/D where lambda is the radiation wavelength (30mm at 10 GHz for example) and D is the diameter of the dish. Looking at the picture the dish is say around 10m in diameter, so one can estimate lambda/D=0.003. This means that after traveling up 100km the beam would be about 300m. If the frequency is lower, say 1 GHz, this grows to 3km, but still small compared to all the space even 100km up around Earth.
    Reply
  • cptjcup
    alan.campbell99 said:
    Hmm, what are the odds a few starlink sats get in the way of any beams, whoops?
    The Meadowlands system uses directed radio frequency technology. That is to say it uses highly targeted directional antennas and high-power RF amplifiers to essentially temporarily overwhelm the adversial system (leaving no permanent damage, BTW). The average distance between satellites in LEO is several hundred miles. I think it's safe to say it's quite impossible to accidentally hit something hundreds of miles away with a very tight, directed signal.
    Reply
  • cptjcup
    call101010 said:
    why not just shoot them down ? why allow them to get closer anyways?
    Because shooting satellites down with kinetic force leaves their debris trapped in orbit, greatly increasing the risk to your own satellites. This is why militaries are exploring soft kill methods. Blowing the constellations up is quite literally the very definition of a "last resort".
    Reply