The US Space Force is set to deploy two advanced ground-based systems aimed at countering surveillance activities conducted by Chinese and Russian spy satellites. This initiative marks a significant expansion of the Pentagon’s capabilities to disrupt enemy monitoring efforts in space.
The systems, named Meadowlands and the Remote Modular Terminal (RMT), are intended to complement the existing Counter Communications System, which has been operational since 2020. The Counter Communications System was developed to ensure dominance over the electromagnetic spectrum during military operations. In contrast to this larger system, Meadowlands and RMT are designed to be smaller and more mobile, allowing for remote control from various global locations.
The Meadowlands system, created by L3Harris Technologies, has faced several technical challenges, but it is currently in the final stages of training and live-fire testing. The Space Operations Command anticipates that it will be deployed by the end of the current fiscal year. On the other hand, the RMT, developed as part of a 2022 contract with Northstrat and CACI International, is already being utilized in undisclosed locations overseas during an early-use phase that permits operational deployment even during ongoing testing.
Reports indicate that the US plans to acquire up to 32 units of Meadowlands and 24 units of RMT to enhance its operational capabilities. To streamline global operations, the Space Force will establish a Space Electromagnetic Tactical Operations Center, which will oversee jamming activities and track enemy interference efforts. This center will also utilize a monitoring network named Bounty Hunter, designed to identify signal disruptions targeting US satellites. Bounty Hunter was first deployed to the US Indo-Pacific Command in 2018 and later to the US Central Command in 2019.
The urgency for these developments has been underscored by a recent unclassified Space Threat Fact Sheet from the US Department of Defense, which disclosed that China currently possesses around 1,200 satellites in orbit, including over 510 operated by the People’s Liberation Army for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance purposes. These satellites play a critical role in monitoring US military movements, including the positioning of aircraft carriers and other expeditionary forces. General Bradley Chance Saltzman, the top officer of the US Space Force, has expressed concerns regarding China’s burgeoning space capabilities, warning that they pose a significant destabilizing influence on US economic and national security interests. He emphasized that China increasingly treats space as a potential battleground, regularly engaging in radio signal jamming during military exercises.
Importantly, the US Space Force has clarified that the focus of the new systems will not be on the destruction of satellites. Instead, they are designed as defensive tools to disrupt or block hostile surveillance activities. This position differs significantly from that of Russia, which is reported to have developed nuclear-based weapons capable of producing high-altitude electromagnetic pulses to incapacitate satellites and communications networks.
Experts like Victoria Samson, director for space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation, have noted that the US currently operates three openly acknowledged offensive counter-space systems. She commented that while these platforms address pressing military requirements, their use does not cross a threshold into active conflict in space, and they are significantly more cost-effective than space-based jammers.
