The United States is set to deploy a new type of ground-based jammer, aimed at disrupting the transmission of information related to US military and allied forces by Chinese or Russian satellites during conflicts, according to the US Space Force.
Earlier this year, the Space Department at the Pentagon conducted tests on the system at two different locations with the control center located in a third site, highlighting its operational flexibility. The Space Force stated in a release to Bloomberg News that the purpose of these devices is not to prevent US satellites from being interfered with by China and Russia, but to “responsibly counter adversary satellite communications capabilities that could enable aggressive actions.”
The Pentagon emphasized that its newly developed satellite jamming technology is purely defensive in nature and has limited application. This is in stark contrast to the nuclear weapons that the US claims Russia is developing, capable of generating electromagnetic pulses in high altitudes that could not only destroy satellites but also potentially disrupt entire communication networks.
General Stephen Whiting, the commander of the US Space Command, stated at the Aspen Security Forum that China has deployed “hundreds of satellites in space with the objective of detecting, locating, tracking, targeting, and potentially attacking US and allied military forces in the Indo-Pacific region.”
In recent months, senior leadership in the Space Force has been emphasizing the need for new space-based and anti-space technology. As this weapon emerges, Russia vetoed a UN resolution that called for all countries to prevent a dangerous arms race in outer space, while China abstained from voting.
The jammer looks similar to a satellite antenna and, like other jammers, typically overloads specific portions of the electromagnetic spectrum through interference to deny, degrade, or disrupt communication with satellites.
According to a recent statement from the Space Force, the first batch of 11 of the 24 Remote Modular Terminals (RMT) jammers will be deployed within the next few months, with all jammers expected to be in place by December 31. The Space Force Rapid Capability Office released a notice online stating that these terminal devices are compact, easy to transport, and cost-effective, suitable for deployment in harsh environments to safeguard US military communications security.
The Space Force noted that the new terminals enhance the jamming capabilities of a large jamming weapon called the Counter Communications System and a medium-sized jamming weapon named Meadowlands that are already deployed.
US Space Force operations officials emphasized the need for the US and its allies to be capable of intercepting space attacks targeting US and allied forces while ensuring no debris is left in space. To achieve this, the Rapid Capability Office developed small terminal equipment.
US officials stated that their weapons are “responsible” weapons that will not destroy satellites but only temporarily disable them.
The Space Force said, “We intentionally designed a small modular system using off-the-shelf commercial components.”