2d Space Warning Squadron

2d Space Warning Squadron
	Defense Support Program satellite
Active	1992–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Missile Warning
Part of	Air Force Space Command
Garrison/HQ	Buckley AFB, Colorado
Nickname(s)	Squawkin' Dogs[ citation needed ]
Motto(s)	Ils Ne Passeront Pas French They Shall Not Pass
Insignia
2d Space Warning Squadron emblem (Approved 2 March 1995) [1]

Last updated March 05, 2019

The 2d Space Warning Squadron Is part of the 460th Space Wing at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado. It operates the Space-Based Infrared System satellites conducting global monitoring for significant infrared events.

The 460th Space Wing is located at Buckley Air Force Base, east of Aurora, Colorado. The 460th delivers global infrared surveillance, provides worldwide missile warning and tracking for homeland defense purposes, and deploys personnel to combatant commanders worldwide.

Buckley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Aurora, Colorado, that was established by the U.S. Army as an auxiliary field and bombing range in 1938, and activated as a designated installation in 1941. The base was named in honor of World War I Army pilot First Lieutenant John Harold Buckley.

Space-Based Infrared System American early warning system

The Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) is a consolidated system intended to meet the United States' infrared space surveillance needs through the first two to three decades of the 21st century. The SBIRS program is designed to provide key capabilities in the areas of missile warning, missile defense and battlespace characterization via satellites in geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO), sensors hosted on satellites in highly elliptical orbit (HEO), and ground-based data processing and control. SBIRS ground software integrates infrared sensor programs of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) with new IR sensors.

Mission

Operate and maintain the Space-Based Infrared System satellite constellation and Mission Control Station. Additionally, they report ballistic missile and space launches, nuclear detonations, and infrared data of operational value to the President of the United States, Secretary of Defense, combatant commanders, intelligence agencies, and global warfighters.^[2]

A ballistic missile follows a ballistic trajectory to deliver one or more warheads on a predetermined target. These weapons are only guided during relatively brief periods of flight—most of their trajectory is unpowered, being governed by gravity and air resistance if in the atmosphere. Shorter range ballistic missiles stay within the Earth's atmosphere, while longer-ranged intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), are launched on a sub-orbital flight trajectory and spend most of their flight out of the atmosphere.

Space launch is the earliest part of a flight that reaches space. Space launch involves liftoff, when a rocket or other space launch vehicle leaves the ground, floating ship or midair aircraft at the start of a flight. Liftoff is of two main types: rocket launch, and non-rocket spacelaunch.

Nuclear weapon Explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions

A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or from a combination of fission and fusion reactions. Both bomb types release large quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first test of a fission ("atomic") bomb released an amount of energy approximately equal to 20,000 tons of TNT (84 TJ). The first thermonuclear ("hydrogen") bomb test released energy approximately equal to 10 million tons of TNT (42 PJ). A thermonuclear weapon weighing little more than 2,400 pounds (1,100 kg) can release energy equal to more than 1.2 million tons of TNT (5.0 PJ). A nuclear device no larger than traditional bombs can devastate an entire city by blast, fire, and radiation. Since they are weapons of mass destruction, the proliferation of nuclear weapons is a focus of international relations policy.

History

The 2d has operated ground stations set up to control the Defense Support Program (DSP) and Space-Based Infrared System, space-based surveillance systems configured to detect and report ballistic missile launches, space launches, and nuclear detonations since 1992.

The Defense Support Program (DSP) is a program of the U.S. Air Force that operates the reconnaissance satellites which form the principal component of the Satellite Early Warning System currently used by the United States.

Lineage

Constituted as the 2d Space Communications Squadron on 1 May 1992

Activated on 15 May 1992

Redesignated 2d Space Warning Squadron on 1 May 1993^[1]

Assignments

21st Operations Group, 15 May 1992
21st Space Wing, 21 July 1995^[1]
460th Operations Group, unknown – present^[2]

The 21st Operations Group is an operational component of the 21st Space Wing, stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

The 21st Space Wing is a unit of the Air Force Space Command based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The unit is tasked with the operation of early missile warning and space object detection equipment around the world in support of NORAD and USSTRATCOM through a network of command and control units and ground-based sensors operated by geographically separated units around the world.

Stations

Buckley Air National Guard Base(later Buckley Air Force Base), Colorado, 15 May 1992 – present^[1]

Systems Operated

Space-Based Infrared System satellites (200x-present)^[2]
Defense Support Program satellites (1992–present)^[1]

Related Research Articles

Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) is a major command of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of space operations. Operationally, AFSPC is an Air Force major command subordinate to U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), a unified combatant command. As of 2019 it is the primary space force for the U.S. Armed Forces.

Schriever Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force located approximately 10 miles east of Peterson AFB near Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States.

The United States Air Force's 614th Space Intelligence Squadron was a unit located at Vandenberg AFB, California. It was inactivated on 18 June 2007 when the 614th Space Operations Group was redesignated the 614 Air and Space Operations Center.

The Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) is a part of Air Force Space Command of the United States Air Force, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, Los Angeles County, California. SMC is the Air Force’s product center for the development and acquisition of space and missile systems.

The 30th Space Wing is an air force wing forming a subordinate unit of the Fourteenth Air Force of the Air Force Space Command of the United States Air Force. The 30th Space Wing is based at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

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The 233rd Space Group is a unit of the Colorado Air National Guard located at Greeley Air National Guard Station, Greeley. The 233rd Space Group provides immediate, worldwide missile warning, space launch and detection in the event of an attack against the United States. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Space Command.

The 6th Space Warning Squadron is located at Cape Cod Air Force Station, in Sandwich, Massachusetts. It operates the PAVE PAWS radar to watch for submarine launched and intercontinental ballistic missiles launched toward North America. The squadron is assigned to the 21st Space Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The squadron was first organized in October 1979 as the 6th Missile Warning Squadron

The 11th Space Warning Squadron is a United States Air Force missile warning squadron, located at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado.

The 7th Space Warning Squadron guards the U.S. West Coast against sea-launched ballistic missiles from the eastern outskirts of Beale Air Force Base approximately 8 miles (13 km) east of Marysville, California. The 7th SWS is a geographically separated unit of the 21st Space Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The 12th Space Warning Squadron is a United States Air Force ground-based radar used for missile warning, missile defense and space situation awareness, stationed at Thule Air Base, Greenland.

The United States Air Force's 8th Space Warning Squadron is an Air Force Reserve missile warning unit located at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado. The 8th works alongside its active duty counterpart, the 2d Space Warning Squadron, on the Defense Support Program and Space-Based Infrared System programs.

The 19th Space Operations Squadron is an Air Force Reserve space operations unit, located at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado.

The 30th Operations Group is an operational component of the United States Air Force 30th Space Wing, stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

The 213th Space Warning Squadron of the Alaska Air National Guard provides early warning of Intercontinental ballistic missiles and Submarine-launched ballistic missiles to the Missile Correlation Center of North American Aerospace Defense Command. The squadron is a geographically separated unit assigned to the 168th Wing at Eielson Air Force Base.

The 71st Flying Training Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Education and Training Command. It is stationed at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma where has conducted pilot training for the Air Force and allied nations since 1972. It also is the host unit for Vance.

References

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 Robertson, Patsy (September 24, 2008). "Factsheet 31 Fighter Wing (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 2013-12-31. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
1 2 3 No byline. "Buckley AFB Factsheets 460th Operations Group". 460th Space Wing Public Affairs. Archived from the original on February 12, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2018.

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ .

External links

460th Operations Group Fact Sheet

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[2SWSfacts-1] 1 2 3 4 5 Robertson, Patsy (September 24, 2008). "Factsheet 31 Fighter Wing (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 2013-12-31. Retrieved July 18, 2018.

[460OG-2] 1 2 3 No byline. "Buckley AFB Factsheets 460th Operations Group". 460th Space Wing Public Affairs. Archived from the original on February 12, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2018.