The US Space Force has offered a rare look at some of its weapons used in recent military operations in Iran and Venezuela. A Wall Street Journal video published on October 14 showed the newspaper being given access to a US Space Force electromagnetic warfare facility in Colorado. Its report featured systems including ‘Meadowlands’, an offensive satellite jammer, and ‘Bounty Hunter’, a defensive system used to detect and locate threats across the electromagnetic spectrum.

The systems are designed to detect, disrupt and protect satellite communications, demonstrating how space capabilities are becoming an active part of modern warfare.

‘Meadowlands’ works by sending radio-frequency signals towards an enemy satellite. These signals can overwhelm the satellite’s communications with noise, preventing it from communicating effectively with its ground station. The effect is non-kinetic, meaning the satellite itself is not physically destroyed and can return to normal once the jamming stops.

‘Bounty Hunter’ scans the electromagnetic spectrum for suspicious or hostile signals. The system can identify and geolocate signals that could threaten US satellites. This allows commanders to determine where a potential threat is coming from and decide how to respond.

The two systems can therefore work together in what Space Force personnel described as a spotter-shooter arrangement. One system finds and locates the threat, while another capability can disrupt it.

The Space Force has also accelerated the deployment of another system called the ‘Remote Modular Terminal’. Unlike larger, fixed systems, it can be packed into a container and rapidly transported to different locations. According to the WSJ report, such systems are already deployed globally.

The systems are operated by Mission Delta 3, the Space Force’s dedicated Space Electromagnetic Warfare unit, based at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado. The unit operates capabilities for electromagnetic attack, protection and support. Its personnel help protect US space systems, detect threats and disrupt adversary satellite capabilities. It supports US, allied and coalition forces.

The importance of these weapons stems from the growing dependence of modern militaries on space. US satellites provide communications, navigation, missile warning and intelligence. They also provide high-resolution imagery of the battlefield and help US forces track threats and guide weapons.

This makes the electromagnetic spectrum another critical battlefield. Military systems ranging from submarines and drones to aircraft, ships, radars and satellites depend on electromagnetic signals to communicate and operate.

Lt Gen Gregory Gagnon, who leads the Space Force’s Combat Forces Command, told the WSJ that controlling this invisible domain allows the US to keep its own systems connected while disrupting an adversary’s ability to do the same.

The systems have already been used in recent operations. Space Force personnel deployed electromagnetic warfare equipment during operations involving Venezuela and Iran. Technical Sergeant Joshua Lomax told the WSJ that his team had only 72 hours to pack, inspect and load its equipment before deploying from Venezuela to the Middle East. Once there, they had another 96 hours to set up the equipment and resume operations.

Iran also repeatedly targeted US space capabilities, including satellite communications terminals, during the conflict. The objective was to reduce the US military’s advantage from its space-based communications and intelligence systems.

These deployments show how the Space Force is moving beyond simply operating satellites. It is developing capabilities to actively protect US space assets and interfere with an adversary’s space-enabled military systems. Lt Gen Gregory Gagnon said, “If we can dominate the spectrum, we can keep our systems, our satellites, our ships, our planes, all connected and working most effectively, but we can also disrupt the adversary’s ability to do it.”

The US currently has the world’s most extensive military and commercial space architecture. The Space Force’s 2026 budget stands at about $31.7 billion, with the administration requesting $71.2 billion for 2027. US government and commercial entities operate roughly 12,000 satellites, according to US Space Force planning cited by Defense One.

China is the main challenger. Beijing already has more than 1,500 payloads in orbit and more than 510 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance-capable satellites, according to the US Space Force. China is also developing large communications constellations and counterspace capabilities.

Savio Rodrigues

Savio Rodrigues is a Research Analyst at Escape Velocity MediaWorks Pvt Ltd and writes for Chakra News on Defence, Geopolitics, National Security. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Mumbai.