The Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS) is the
5th Space Warning Squadron
The United States Space Force's 5th Space Warning Squadron (5 SWS) is an in-theater missile warning unit headquartered at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado. It operates the Joint Tactical Ground Station, Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS) s ...
's element to
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 ...
's Theater Event System (TES). TES provides an integrated, global, 24-hour overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) detection capability for processing and disseminating missile early warning, alerting, and cueing information data to combatant commanders and missile defense assets through the ground processing of infrared satellite data.
JTAGS is the Space Force's primary system that provides space based integrated, in-theater missile warning. It provides continuous
processing of OPIR data that is directly down linked from the Defense Support Program (DSP) and Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) satellite constellations. This data is
used to provide near real-time dissemination of warning, alerting and cueing information, to combatant commanders (CCDRs) and ballistic missile defense
systems (BMDS), on ballistic missile threats for the protection of military assets, civilian populations, and geopolitical centers. This dissemination is accomplished by
using existing communication networks such as the Integrated Broadcast Service (IBS) and Link 16.
JTAGS Mission
"(U) Receive and process in-theater, direct down-linked data from OPIR (Overhead Persistent Infrared) Sensors in order to disseminate warning, alerting and cueing information on tactical ballistic missiles and other events of interest throughout the theater using existing communication networks."
JTAGS Organization
The Joint Tactical Ground Station Theater Missile Warning system was organized under the 1st Space Company, with 4 forward-stationed Detachments in Europe, Qatar, Korea, and Japan. The 1st Space Company fell under the 1st Space Battalion, under the 1st Space Brigade, part of the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command
United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command
The United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) is the Army Service Component Command (ASCC) for United States Strategic Command and United States Space Command. It was established in 1985 as the Army Strategic Defense Command ...
In October 2023, the element and its early warning systems were transferred to the control of the United States Space Force's
Mission 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 ...
's
5th Space Warning Squadron
The United States Space Force's 5th Space Warning Squadron (5 SWS) is an in-theater missile warning unit headquartered at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado. It operates the Joint Tactical Ground Station, Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS) s ...
.
[Unshin Lee Harple]
(5 Oct 2023) Space Force Takes Over JTAGS Mission from the Army
Joint Tactical Ground Station missile warning system detachments in Italy, Qatar, South Korea, and Japan
See also
*
Theater Event System The United States Theater Event System (TES) is a missile-warning system. The TES is composed of three ground elements: the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Mission Control Station, the Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS), and the Tactical D ...
*
Defense Support Program
The Defense Support Program (DSP) is a program of the United States Space Force that operated the reconnaissance satellites which form the principal component of the ''Satellite Early Warning System'' used by the United States.
DSP satellite ...
*
Space Based Infrared System
The Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) is a United States Space Force system intended to meet the United States' Department of Defense infrared space surveillance needs through the first two to three decades of the 21st century. The SBIRS prog ...
References
External links
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Space Based InfraRed System (SBIRS)
{{Public sector space agencies
Military equipment
Missile defense
Units and formations of the United States Space Force
Organizations based in Colorado Springs, Colorado