- 32 “Meadowlands” counter communication systems have been ordered by the US Space Force Combat Forces Command
- Instead of laser, microwave or plasma, the weapon is an electromagnetic beam
- Enemy satellites can be disabled and signals jammed using the weapon
A fleet of 32 “Meadowlands” Counter Communication Systems (CCS) is being assembled by the US Space Force Combat Forces Command, which has just received the first mobile electromagnetic warfare system.
While newer projectile-free weapon systems have used lasers, microwaves and ionized plasma gas, a Meadowlands device — portable enough to be carried by air — uses targeted electromagnetic fields.
Electromagnetic warfare has proven successful in recent years, with Operation Midnight Hammer – the June 2025 US airstrike on Iran – using the technology to create a “zone of silence” over the country to facilitate the attack. By disrupting communications with the electromagnetic weapon on that occasion, targets were hit with minimal countermeasures deployed.
What does an electromagnetic weapon (EW) do?
Systems like the Meadowlands CCS have the ability to interfere with enemy satellites and jam their signals (affecting uplink and downlink transmissions). Described as being able to “detect, deny, disrupt and degrade adversary capabilities”, the technology can also alter or disrupt target data and create confusion.
US Space Force Col. Angelo Fernandez is the commander of Mission Delta 3 – Space Electromagnetic Warfare, a unit dedicated to “training and equipping electromagnetic warfare professionals.”
He states, “Our Guardians are at the forefront of joint operations, so we provide capabilities that best enable their success and the success of the joint force. Every day, Space Force electromagnetic warfare forces become better organized, trained, equipped, and mentally prepared to operate in hostile environments.
The Meadowlands units are mounted on a six-wheel chassis and appear to be intended for soil application using a separate tractor. They are small enough to be installed in harsh environments or behind the front lines and can be controlled remotely.
What is Space Force?
It was reported in February 2026 that the Space Force was involved in Operation Midnight Hammer, which included gaining control of the electromagnetic spectrum.
While it sounded like a fictional arm of the military, the Space Force was created in 2019 to protect American interests in space. It operates under the Department of Air Defense and deals with putting satellites into space, managing GPS and tracking space debris. Its operators are referred to as “Guardians”. These are recruited from the USAF, other branches of the military, or from civilian application pools.
(Conversely, NASA is engaged in exploration and scientific research and is a civilian agency.)
The Meadowlands CCS joins existing high-power microwave, precision lasers in the arsenal of the Space Force, which have no kinetic weapons for deployment.
“This upgraded system enables us to more effectively and efficiently support the joint plan of maneuver across the continuum of conflict,” said US Space Force Lt. Col. Ryan Skilling, 4th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron commander.
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