War in space, anyone? That’s an exaggeration, but the trend is looking pretty clear. The Air Force plans to beef up its fledgling offensive space capability by adding four additional ground-based Counter Communications Systems—devices that are intended to disrupt enemy communications satellites temporarily. Air Force Space Command already has three of these things. Space and Missile Systems Center last week extended a call for sources, seeking—but not expecting to find—companies other than Harris Corp. that might be capable of producing CCS units. SMC intends to tap Harris for the work soon after the new year. (Read our article about counter space efforts here.)
Today, the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a Nuclear Deterrence Forum featuring Brad Roberts, director of the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Event video will tentatively be posted to the think tank’s website and YouTube page afterward.