The War Zone
• Joseph Trevithick
The Army is expanding its new Space Operations Branch as it develops capabilities to counter adversaries’ use of satellites to track and target ground forces. It plans tests of high-altitude balloons and stratospheric payloads next year, and has already rushed balloons to support operations in the Middle East.
Space Defense & Militarization
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Turkey’s Aselsan is under contract to build in-orbit prototypes for Astralink, a planned 198-satellite low Earth orbit constellation serving military, civil government and emergency services. The first satellite is scheduled to launch in 2028, an early step toward a multi-user national space communications system.
Col. Kevin “Stoney” Stonerook, deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Task Force-Gold, said the unit’s roles and responsibilities are still being defined. JTF-Gold is expected to coordinate cyber warfare for the Golden Dome effort, though the scope of that responsibility has not yet been settled.
High activity
The Army is expanding its new Space Operations Branch as it develops capabilities to counter adversaries’ use of satellites to track and target ground forces. It plans tests of high-altitude balloons and stratospheric payloads next year, and has already rushed balloons to support operations in the Middle East.
The Space Force says its electromagnetic warfare systems are playing a key role in U.S. military operations around the world. A Wall Street Journal report, based on a visit to a Colorado base, examines the systems and their use in operations involving Iran and Venezuela.
Ukrainian officials say restrictions on Starlink are disrupting drone attacks and air defense, renewing scrutiny of the satellite network’s role in the war. Related reports describe possible throttling, attacks on Starlink-related infrastructure and the importance of conventional data links as alternatives.
A coalition of 20 European governments has approved plans for a military space program intended to build sovereign orbital defense capabilities, alongside a joint orbital-tracking pact. Separately, Spain has brought forward €65.8 million in funding for Hisdesat’s PAZ 2 spy satellite program.
The articles describe several separate defense developments: space-based interceptor programs entering preliminary design and component testing, the Air Force testing a new Sentinel reentry vehicle, and Lockheed Martin formalizing automated missile-parts manufacturing with Hadrian. A separate report covers Airbus linking German and Swedish air defenses through SAMOC.
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