The

United States Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space force branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces, armed forces of the United States and one of the eight uniformed services of the Unite ...

's 10th Space Warning Squadron (10 SWS), is a missile warning unit located at

Cavalier Space Force Station Cavalier Space Force Station, North Dakota, is a United States Space Force installation, where the 10th Space Warning Squadron, Space Delta 4, United States Space Force monitors and tracks potential missile launches against North America with th ...

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

operating the AN/FPQ-16 Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System.

Mission

10 SWS provides tactical warning and attack assessment of sea-launched and intercontinental ballistic missiles launched against the continental United States and southern Canada. Additionally, 10 SWS provides surveillance, tracking and space object identification for the

United States Space Command United States Space Command (USSPACECOM or SPACECOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Department of Defense, responsible for military operations in outer space, specifically all operations 100 kilometers (62 miles) and greater ...

Space Surveillance Network The United States Space Surveillance Network (SSN) detects, tracks, catalogs and identifies artificial objects orbiting Earth, e.g. active/inactive satellites, spent rocket bodies, or fragmentation debris. The system is the responsibility of Uni ...

(SSN).

History

The unit was originally the acquisition radar portion of the United States' only operational anti-ballistic missile system, known as SAFEGUARD. Due to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (SALT II), components of the SAFEGUARD complex, with the exception of the PARCS radar at Cavalier Space Force Station, were deactivated in February 1976. The forerunner of the present day 10th SWS began passing tactical warning and attack assessment data to the

Cheyenne Mountain Complex The Cheyenne Mountain Complex is a United States Space Force installation and defensive bunker located in unincorporated El Paso County, Colorado, next to the city of Colorado Springs, at the Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, which host ...

, Colo., in January 1977. In December 1979 the unit was transferred from Aerospace Defense Command to Strategic Air Command. The unit, as it exists today, joined

Air Force Space Command An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosphere ...

in 1983 as Detachment 5, 1st Space Wing. On 10 July 1986, the unit was re-designated as the 10th Missile Warning Squadron, and was activated on 1 August 1986. It was renamed the 10th Space Warning Squadron on May 15, 1992, when the

1st Space Wing The 1st Space Wing was a wing of the United States Air Force active from 1983 to 1992 at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado as part of Air Force Space Command. The Wing was constituted on 18 Oct 1982 and activated on 1 January 1983 with assignm ...

and 3d Space Support Wing were inactivated and the

21st Space Wing The 21st Wing (21 WG) is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force. It was established in 1953 as the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing, deploying to Europe to join NATO's Allied Command Europe, before being inactivated in 1958. It reactivated i ...

was activated. On 24 July 2020, with the establishment of

Space Delta 4 Mission Delta 4 (MD4) is a United States Space Force unit responsible for providing strategic and theater missile warning and tracking to the United States and its international partners. It operates three constellations of Overhead Persistent I ...

, the 21st Space Wing and all of its subordinates were fully integrated into the

Previous Designations

*10th Space Warning Squadron (15 May 1992–Present) *10th Missile Warning Squadron (10 July 1986 – 15 May 1992) *Detachment 5, 1st Space Wing (1983-10 July 1986)

Assignments

Major Command

Space Operations Command Space Operations Command (SpOC) is the United States Space Force's space warfare, space operations, cyber warfare, cyber operations, and military intelligence, intelligence field command. Headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado ...

(24 July 2020-Present) *

(10 July 1983–24 July 2020) *

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile compon ...

(1979–1983) *

Aerospace Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was establishe ...

(??-1979)

Numbered Air Force

14th Air Force The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The command was responsible for the organizatio ...

(??-24 July 2020)

Wing/Group

(24 July 2020-Present) *

(15 May 1992–24 July 2020) *

(1983-15 May 1992)

List of commanders

*Lt Col Donald T. Kidd, 19 August 1996 – 30 Mar 1998 *Lt Col Ling Yung, ~2005 *Lt Col Keith W. Balts, June 2007 – June 2009 *Lt Col Lorinda Frederick, 14 June 2011 – ~10 July 2013 *Lt Col Michelle R. Kneupper, 10 July 2013 – ~July 2015 *Lt Col John M. Koehler II, July 2015 – ~23 June 2017 *Lt Col Stephen A. Hobbs, 23 June 2017 – 11 June 2019 *Lt Col Ryan Durand, 11 June 2019 – 11 June 2021 *Lt Col Travis Kennebeck, 11 June 2021 – 15 June 2023 *Lt Col Michael Stobie, 15 June 2023 – present

Decorations

Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force ...

**1 October 2012 - 31 Sept 2014 **1 October 2005 - 31 Sept 2007 **1 January 2000 - 31 August 2000 **1 January 1999 - 31 December 1999 **1 January 1998 – 31 December 1998 **1 October 1997 – 30 September 1999 **1 October 1995 – 30 September 1997 **1 October 1992 - 30 September 1994 **1 December 1989 - 31 August 1991 (as 10th Missile Warning Squadron) **1 October 1988 – 30 November 1989 (as 10th Missile Warning Squadron) **1 May 1983 - 30 April 1984 (as Detachment 5, 1st Space Wing)DAF Special Order GB-280

References

External links

10th Space Warning Squadron site
{{USAF Space Command Squadrons of the United States Space Force Military units and formations in North Dakota