SpaceNews.com
• Sandra Erwin
The U.S. Space Force’s Middle East command could grow fivefold over the next several years as the service expands its role in military operations. The potential expansion signals a larger regional presence for the Space Force, though no details on timing or implementation are provided.
Space Defense & Militarization
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The U.S. Space Force’s Middle East command could grow fivefold over the next several years as the service expands its role in military operations. The potential expansion signals a larger regional presence for the Space Force, though no details on timing or implementation are provided.
Over the past three decades, U.S. space capabilities have grown in capacity, capability and integration in support of combat operations. The article argues that maintaining space superiority requires greater resilience in the ground systems and networks that enable those capabilities.
Kyiv says a sudden SpaceX speed limit is disabling interceptor drones used against Russian Shahed attacks, while Elon Musk, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump deny responsibility. The dispute follows a fire at a Starlink center in Lithuania that officials called sabotage, amid similar incidents in Bulgaria and Poland.
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Reports say Ukrainian forces experienced slowed Starlink access during Russian bombardment, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to raise concerns and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to urge caution. Separately, an arson attempt targeted a Lithuanian company housing a Starlink ground gateway serving Ukraine, while an unidentified drone entered Lithuanian airspace.
The U.S. Space Force is preparing to hire contractors to maintain and support global deployments of as many as 56 systems designed to disrupt adversaries’ communications. The planned contracting effort signals a broader operational footprint for a counterspace capability, though the summary provides no deployment locations or schedule.
A Russian satellite has moved close to a U.S. satellite in a constellation that supports Ukraine’s military, raising concerns about Moscow’s intent. The report provides no further details on the spacecraft, the proximity or any operational effect, leaving the encounter’s immediate consequences unclear.
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Ukraine says restrictions on SpaceX’s satellite network are deliberate, not the result of technical problems, as reports attribute the limits to a White House order. The curbs have reportedly affected frontline communications and the military’s ability to intercept Russian attack drones, renewing questions about Ukraine’s reliance on U.S.-controlled space infrastructure.
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