WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force has placed into operational service a new mobile satellite-jamming system capable of temporarily disrupting an adversary’s communications.
The electronic warfare system, known as Meadowlands and built by L3Harris Technologies, uses radio-frequency signals to interfere with an adversary satellite’s ability to transmit information. Unlike anti-satellite weapons designed to physically destroy spacecraft, Meadowlands produces reversible effects by disrupting satellite communications without damaging the satellite itself.
The Space Force’s Combat Forces Command said it has operationally accepted the system, making it available for real-world missions by combatant commanders.
The milestone caps several years of development for Meadowlands and reflects a broader shift in how the military discusses space warfare. A capability once rarely acknowledged publicly is being described as a standard element of military operations as the Pentagon prepares for potential conflicts in which space systems would be contested.
The Space Force pointed to recent operations in the Middle East as an example of that mission. During Operation Midnight Hammer, Space Force operators established what the service described as a “silence zone” by disrupting adversary communications, helping protect U.S. bombers during the mission by limiting the enemy’s ability to communicate or warn its forces of the operation. The service did not say Meadowlands itself was used during the mission.
First disclosed in 2020, Meadowlands is the latest version of the Counter Communications System, the U.S. military’s first publicly acknowledged offensive counter-space capability. The upgraded system can jam a broader range of frequencies than its predecessor and incorporates automation that reduces the number of personnel required to operate it.
The system is mounted on wheeled trailers, allowing it to be rapidly deployed and repositioned, making it more difficult for adversaries to locate or target. Meadowlands is operated by Mission Delta 3, the Space Force unit responsible for space electromagnetic warfare, and can be employed in support of combatant commanders worldwide.
The operational acceptance follows a series of milestones over the past year. The Space Force approved Meadowlands after completing contractor testing, and L3Harris said it has begun delivering an unspecified number of systems to military sites. Late last year, the system also was approved for potential export through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program to a limited group of close allies, primarily the Five Eyes intelligence partners.
The Space Force in its fiscal 2027 budget requested $40 million for the Counter Satellite Communications System, the program under which Meadowlands is fielded.
