Silent Sentry: Protecting Space Communications:

eHam.net News – More than 20,000 above the Earth’s surface, communication satellites orbit the planet, listening for a signal. Once they receive a signal, they repeat it and send it back down to the surface. The U.S. Air Force uses many types of satellite communications to transmit data all around the globe. With the encryption of data, the U.S. Air Force denies prying eyes the ability to read critical information. However, desperate enemies often try a number of subterfuge methods to disrupt SATCOM. This is where the 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron’s Silent Sentry (OSY) flight comes into play – to protect critical satellite communication links by employing multiple weapons systems for electronic warfare. These space operators are from the 16th Space Control Squadron and the Air Force Reserves 380th Space Control Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado. If hostile forces relied on kinetic attacks, or trying to shoot down satellites with missiles, attacks on U.S. communications would become expensive. Alternatively, those that want to deny our satellite communication capabilities are more likely to try jamming which is broadcasting powerful radio waves that overwhelm our ability to receive information. Silent Sentry’s space control mission defends against these jamming attacks. They monitor satellites and watch radio signals that the satellites send down. Normal communications have certain characteristics or “fingerprints” to them, and according to Capt. Dirk Haller, commander of Silent Sentry, when these signals look different, the Airmen of the 379th OSY know something is wrong and someone may be trying to jam them. “We watch radio signals going up and down from space and make sure that the signals we’re sending are getting where they need to go and not being interfered with,” Haller said.

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