US Space Force awards production contract for Meadowlands satcom denial EW

L3Harris Technologies is to upgrade the Counter Communications Systems (CCS) Block 10.2 ground-based electronic warfare (EW) system used by the US Space Force to deny adversary satellite communications (satcom).

The company was awarded a USD120.8 million contract by the Space Systems Command on 22 October. Known as Meadowlands, the upgrade package transitions the existing CCS Block 10.2 system to a more modular and scalable Block 10.3 architecture, and introduces additional classified functionality.

Achieving Initial Operating Capability in March 2020 and claimed to be the first offensive weapon system to be fielded by the US Space Force, CCS Block 10.2 provides a ground-based, deployable EW capability to reversibly deny satcom, early warning, and propaganda. A total of 16 systems are fielded, operating from Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and classified locations outside the continental United States.

The Meadowlands Block 10.3 upgrade for CCS Block 10.2 introduces the new architecture, and reduces the operational footprint from 14 racks of equipment to three or four racks. According to the contract award notice, the CCS Meadowlands fit “consists of modern Commercial Off-the-Shelf/Government Off-the-Shelf hardware and antennas in addition to mission software”. “Portions of the CCS Meadowlands program are controlled at the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level,” it added.

L3Harris is to undertake CCS Meadowlands production in Melbourne, Florida. Work is expected to be completed by the end of February 2025.

The CCS programme is administered by the Space and Missile Systems Center Special Programs Directorate located near Los Angeles Air Force Base in California. L3Harris is developing the next-generation CCS under a USD72 million contract awarded in January 2020 to sustain the Space and Missile Systems Center's ground-based EW systems portfolio and develop Meadowlands.