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USSF Combat Forces Command

miltary memebers pose for group photo

Turning Intelligence into Advantage: U.S., Coalition Forces Convene for SpaceTAT '26
A graphic depiction of Milstar 1, For more than 30 years, the Military Strategic and Tactical Relay (Milstar) system has served as the backbone of secure, jam-resistant communications for the Department of War. After far exceeding its intended operational lifespan, the original Milstar 1 Developmental Flight Satellite-1 (DFS-1) satellite officially completed its displacement after being retired from mission use on May 5, 2026. The Operators displace satellites to prevent collisions with active spacecraft and to keep space clean. Depending on its altitude, the satellite is either pushed to burn up in Earth's atmosphere or boosted outward into a safe "graveyard" orbit.

The Legacy of Milstar 1: Three Decades of Assured Command, Control
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Laura Vilalobos, 21st Security Forces Squadron response force member, conducts training as part of a field training exercise on Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, March 18, 2025. During the exercise, the Defenders of 21st SFS adapted their tactics to assess and respond to emerging battlefield threats. (U.S. Space Force photo by Senior Airman Justin Todd)

The New Frontline: Hardening space power against UAS threats
U.S. Space Force Maj. Esteban Bedoya, 31st Space Sustainment Squadron GPS III & Detachment 1 program manager, and U.S. Air Force Capt. Sebastian Bedoya, 3rd Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III pilot, worked side-by-side to transport GPS III Space Vehicle 08 from Buckley Space Force Base, Colo., to Florida on April 2, 2025. The brothers had the unique opportunity to align their separate services' efforts to ensure the safe arrival of the GPS system to Cape Canaveral, where it will begin processing in preparation for launch in late spring. (U.S. Space Force Photo by Senior Airman Joshua Hollis)

U.S. Space Force Field Commands Announce Accelerated GPS III Mission to Enhance Warfighter Capabilities
Thule Tracking Station, known as callsign POGO, operated by the 22nd Space Operations Squadron, Detachment 7, is the northernmost unit of seven worldwide tracking stations in the U.S. Space Force Satellite Control Network at Pituffik Space Base, Greenland, April. 8, 2026. A component of Mission Delta 31 - Det 7’s mission is to provide telemetry, tracking and commanding operations to the U.S. and allied government satellite programs. The detachment’s extreme northern location allows contact with polar orbiting satellites 5-12 times per day ranging in altitude from 120 miles to 24,800 miles above the earth's surface. (U.S. Space Force photo by Heather Johnson)

Translating Orbital Capabilities into Multi-Domain Lethality: The SCN at Pituffik
U.S. Space Force Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, poses for a photo with members of the 20th Space Surveillance Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, April 13, 2026. The 20th SPSS executes multi-platform tactical space domain characterization and responsiveness to support Space Delta 2 and U.S. Space Command warfighting intent. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt Hannah Lancaster)

New Deep Space Radar Capability Employed Early
Securing the high ground: U.S.-Australian alliance a decisive advantage in Space

Securing the high ground: U.S.-Australian alliance a decisive advantage in Space
The U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) and Combat Forces Command (CFC) successfully delivered the Global Positioning System (GPS) III-8 (Space Vehicle-10, SV-10) mission into orbit as part of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched the mission Apr. 21 at 2:53 a.m. EDT (11:53 p.m. PDT Apr. 20) from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla.

U.S. Space Force delivers final GPS III to orbit, advancing its most resilient constellation for military, civil capabilities
The U.S. Air Force Weapons School patches symbolize the highest level of tactical expertise, marking graduates as elite instructors and leaders who have completed one of the world's most demanding training programs. Its mission is to cultivate tactical experts and leaders capable of controlling and exploiting air, space, and cyberspace for the joint force, providing advanced training in weapons and tactics employment. These highly skilled graduates return to their units as invaluable advisors, sharing their knowledge to integrate combat power and ensure readiness across all domains.

CFC Squadrons Support Weapon School Distributed Operations Mission
Telescopes from the Maui Space Surveillance Complex.

Visibility in space magnified: U.S. Space Force domain awareness upgrade shatters standard for orbital detection, tracking
U.S. Space Force Brig. Gen. Casey M. Beard, deputy commander of U. S. Space Force Combat Forces Command, speaks at a Space Senior Leader and Stakeholder Roundtable hosted by the Space Foundation on April 12, 2026 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (U.S. Space Force photo by Dave Grim)

National Security Imperative: Leaders Stress Need for Robust Space Control
ATLAS is a scalable, modular, resilient and flexible modern architecture used to access, understand, and apply space domain information. It serves as a primary tool for Mission Delta 2’s 18th Space Defense Squadron operators for space catalog administration and maintenance, observation association, maneuver and de-orbit detection and characterization, sensor planning, tasking, and calibration.

ATLAS: A Paradigm Shift in Space Domain Awareness