- US Space Force Combat Forces Command has ordered 32 “Meadowlands” countercommunication systems
- Instead of laser, microwave or plasma, the weapon is an electromagnetic beam.
- Enemy satellites can be disabled and jammed signals using the weapon.
A fleet of 32 “Meadowlands” countercommunication systems (CCS) is being assembled by the US Space Force Combat Forces Command, which just took delivery of the first mobile electromagnetic warfare system.
While recent projectileless weapons systems have employed lasers, microwaves, and ionized plasma gas, a Meadowlands unit (portable enough to be airlifted) uses specific electromagnetic fields.
Electromagnetic warfare has proven successful in recent years, with Operation Midnight Hammer (the June 2025 US airstrikes against Iran) using the technology to create a “silence zone” over the country to facilitate attack. By interrupting communications with the electromagnetic weapon on that occasion, the targets were attacked with the deployment of minimal countermeasures.
What does an electromagnetic weapon (EW) do?
Systems like Meadowlands CCS have the ability to jam enemy satellites and jam their signals (affecting uplink and downlink transfers). Described as capable of “detecting, denying, altering and degrading adversary capabilities,” the technology can also change or alter target data and create confusion.
US Space Force Colonel Angelo Fernández is the commander of Mission Delta 3 – Space Electromagnetic Warfare, a unit dedicated to “training and equipping professionals in electromagnetic warfare.”
He states: “Our Guardians are at the forefront of joint operations, so we are deploying the capability that best enables their success and the success of the joint force. Every day, the Space Force’s electromagnetic warfare forces are better organized, trained, equipped and mentally prepared to operate in hostile environments.
The Meadowlands units are mounted on a six-wheeled chassis and appear to be designed for deployment on land using a stand-alone tractor. They are small enough to be deployed in hostile environments or behind the front lines, and can be controlled remotely.
What is the space force?
In February 2026 it was reported that Space Force was involved in Operation Midnight Hammer, which included gaining control of the electromagnet spectrum.
While it sounds like a fictional arm of the military, the Space Force was created in 2019 to protect America’s interests in space. It operates under the Department of Air Defense and is responsible for placing satellites in space, managing GPS, and tracking space debris. Their agents are known as “Guardians.” These are recruited from the USAF, other branches of the military, or from civilian application groups.
(By contrast, NASA deals with scientific exploration and research and is a civilian agency.)
Meadowlands CCS joins existing high-power microwaves and precision lasers within the Space Force arsenal, which does not have kinetic weapons for deployment.
“This enhanced system allows us to more effectively and efficiently support the joint scheme of maneuver throughout the conflict continuum,” said U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Ryan Skilling, commander of the 4th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron.
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