Present
…
a Major Army Command (MACOM)
The U.S. Army Space and
Missile Defense Command (SMDC)/U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command
(ARSTRAT) is the Army Service Component Command to
the U.S. Strategic Command. SMDC/ARSTRAT missions are global in nature and include
space operations, information operations, global strike, integrated
missile defense and C4ISR (command and control, communications, computers,
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance).
Building on more than 40 years of achievement and progress in the space
and missile defense arena, SMDC/ARSTRAT will continue to support these crucial
missions in the 21st century. From its headquarters in Arlington, Va.,
SMDC/ARSTRAT oversees a number of Army elements around the globe to accomplish its
challenging and diverse mission:
• The 1st Space Brigade
(Provisional) in Colorado Springs, Colo., is the Army’s first and only
space brigade. Elements of the brigade’s three battalions deployed to
Iraq and the surrounding theater in support of Marine Expeditionary
Force 1, V Corps and Central Command. 1st Space Brigade conducts
continuous, global space support, space superiority and space force
enhancement operations in support of the U.S. Strategic Command and
supported combatant commanders enabling the delivery of decisive combat
power.
Space and BMD Forces
• The 1st Satellite Control Battalion in Colorado Springs, Colo.,
provides worldwide satellite communications to the warfighter through
the Defense Satellite Communications System. The 1st Space Battalion’s
Theater Missile Warning Company uses Joint Tactical Ground Stations to
provide combatant commanders with the only in-theater tactical ballistic
missile warning capability on the battlefield. The battalion’s Army
Space Support Company provides units deploying on exercises and
contingency and humanitarian operations with intelligence, planning, and
operational expertise and products. The 193rd Space Battalion, Colorado
Army National Guard, also includes Army Space Support Teams that provide
valuable space assets to deployed forces. SMDC/ARSTRAT-Space and BMD
Forces also
manages the Army’s
astronaut
detachment at the Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas.
• The
TRADOC System Manager (TSM) for
Ground-based Midcourse Defense (TSM GMD) in Arlington, Va., and
Huntsville, Ala., integrates and manages GMD user activities within the
Army. It serves as a single Army user representative and advocate in the
development of the land-based GMD system.
• The Force Development and Integration Center (FDIC) in Arlington, Va.,
develops the Army’s space and missile defense concepts, validates
requirements, and ensures Army-wide solution integration.
• The
Space and Missile Defense Technical Center
(SMDTC) in Huntsville, Ala., is the research and development element of
the command. The center executes directed energy, space, and missile
defense research and development programs. As executive agent for DoD’s
Missile Defense Agency, the center provides cost, schedule, and
technical oversight for missile defense technology, and provides
technical matrix support to the Program Executive Office, Air, Space,
and Missile Defense.
• The
Space and Missile Defense Battle Lab
(SMDBL) in Huntsville, Ala., and Colorado Springs, Colo., delivers
innovations to the warfighter in the areas of Space, Missile Defense,
Information Operations, C4ISR, and Global Strike. Areas of expertise
include Space Experimentation, Missile Defense Experimentation,
Information Operations and C4ISR Experimentation, Modeling and
Simulations and High Performance Computational facilities, and Military
Studies and Analysis.
• The
Office of Technical Integration and
Interoperability (OTII) in Huntsville, Ala., integrates technical and
operational requirements with materiel developers, improves
interoperability for our Joint and Coalition warfighters, and advances
Space and Integrated Air and Missile Defense.
• The Space and Missile
DefenseTest and Evaluation Center (SMDT&E) in Huntsville, Ala.,
centralizes the command’s materiel development, targets, and test
facility management into one overarching organization that includes the
following facilities and program offices:
– The
High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility
(HELSTF) at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., serves as a national
center for high-energy laser research, development, testing, and
evaluation. It is the only laser facility capable of placing
continuous wave megawatt laser light on a variety of targets.
– The Ronald Reagan Ballistic
Missile Defense Test Site’s unique geographical location in the
central Pacific with an unmatched suite of radars, instrumentation,
and test support facilities offers extensive flexibility for ballistic
missile testing and space-object tracking.
The command ensures Army
warfighters have access to space assets and products to win decisively
with minimum casualties and effective missile defense to protect our
nation, as well as our deployed forces and those of our friends and
allies.
History
On Oct. 1, 1997, the Department of the Army created its
newest major command the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC/ARSTRAT).
Composed of five primary components, the SMDC/ARSTRAT is a global organization. These components
are the SMDC/ARSTRAT Headquarters and the Force Development Integration Center in Arlington, Va.;
the U.S. Army Space Command (Forward) located in Colorado Springs, Colo.; and, the
Space and Missile Defense Technical Center (SMDTC), the Space and Missile Defense Battle Lab
(SMDBL) and the Space and Missile Defense Acquisition Center (SMDAC) based in Huntsville,
Ala. Included in the SMDAC are the High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility (HELSTF), at
White Sands Missile Range, N.M., the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll/Kwajalein Missile Range
(USAKA/KMR), in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Army Space Program Office (ASPO)
in Alexandria, Va., and the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted
Sensors Project Office (JLENS) and the Ballistic Missile Targets Joint Project Office
(BMTJPO) which are both in Huntsville.
The SMDC/ARSTRAT commander is a
dual-hatted leader. In addition to the duties of SMDC/ARSTRAT commander, he also serves as the
commander of the U.S. Army Space Command (ARSPACE). The creation of the new major command
and its organization are designed to align the command to reflect the importance of space
and missile defense to the Army and the joint warfighter. The basic missions of the
command are twofold. The SMDC/ARSTRAT ensures that the soldier in the field has access to space
assets and their products. The command also seeks to provide effective missile defense for
the nation and deployed forces.
Although a new organization, the
SMDC/ARSTRAT is building on more than 40 years of
achievement and progress in the space and missile defense arena. The command began in
1957, when the Army created the first program office for ballistic missile defense. With
the Nike-Zeus, the Army explored the feasibility of nuclear intercepts of
inter-continental missiles. On July 19, 1962, the command made history with the first
successful intercept of an intercontinental ballistic missile. This feat was repeated at
the next level in 1984, when the Homing Overly Experiment performed the first non-nuclear,
kinetic-kill intercept of a reentry vehicle, proving it was possible to hit a "bullet
with a bullet."
In 1967, having proved the interceptors capabilities, the command moved
toward the next phase deployment with the Sentinel defense system.
Redirected in 1969, the program was assigned to defend of the U.S. land-based ICBM's. On
Oct. 1, 1975, the Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex in North Dakota became
operational. Congress inactivated the site almost immediately, because of concerns over
the budget and the influence of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
President Ronald Reagan announced a new approach to strategic planning, the
Strategic Defense Initiative, in March 1983. This concept urged an active defense rather
than the traditional offensive deterrence. To address this change, elements of the
Ballistic Missile Defense Organization were merged in July 1985, creating the U.S. Army
Strategic Defense Command (USASDC). At the same time, efforts by the command expanded to
incorporate new avenues of research. In addition to radars and interceptors, the USASDC
expanded its exploration of anti-satellite systems, lasers, neutral particle beams and
innovative sensors.
With the new decade, the command began to move in new directions. In October
1990, as part of an effort to centralize laser research, the HELSTF transferred to the
command from the Army Materiel Command. The USASDC mission was further enhanced in January
1991, when the command was assigned all Theater Missile Defense functions and again in
June 1994, the USASSDC commanding general was made the Theater Missile Defense advocate.
In 1992, the Army reorganized the USASDC to focus elements upon specific needs
and missions. As part of this decision, several missile and radar projects were
transferred from the USASDC to the newly created Program Executive Office for Global
Protection Against Limited Strikes (subsequently renamed Air and Missile Defense). Among
the projects leaving the command were the Ground Based Interceptor, the High
Endoatmospheric Defense Interceptor, the Theater High Altitude Area Defense, the Extended
Range Interceptor (which became the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor), the ARROW,
and the Ground Based Radar. The Program Executive Office was assigned the mission to
develop and deploy viable national missile defense and theater missile defense systems.
The Armys renewed interest in space technology was reflected in Department
of the Armys decision to create the U.S. Army Space and Strategic Defense Command
(USASSDC), on Aug. 24, 1992. Under this directive, the Army Space Command became a
subordinate command to the USASSDC. Other Army space interests were incorporated into the
new organization in later years. The Army Space Technology Research Office transferred to
the command in 1993, followed by the Army Space Program Office in 1994. Based on these
changes and the years of experience, the USASSDC was named the Army's advocate for Space,
Theater Missile Defense and National Missile Defense. As outlined the General Order, dated
July 1, 1993, the USASSDC was to serve as the "focal point for space and strategic
defense matters,
responsible for [the] exploitation of space and strategic assets
for use by warfighting [Commanders in Chief]."
With this consolidated approach, the Army had teamed up all of its space related
organizations. Since 1973, the Army Space Program Office has overseen the tactical
exploitation of national capabilities program, or TENCAP. The TENCAP program seeks to
assess the tactical potential of current abilities and integrate them into the Army
system. The Army Space Technology Research Office, established in 1988, managed near and
possible far-term space R&D programs. It became the core of the new Space Applications
Technology Program. The Army Space Command, created in 1986, serves as the Army component
of the U.S. Space Command and is responsible for operational space planning. This command
also oversees the Defense Satellite Communications System Operations Centers and the Army
Space Demonstration Program, which explores the feasibility of off-theshelf
technology in the space program. One successful example of this effort is the small
lightweight Global Positioning System receiver (commonly called the "slugger")
used during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
It is with this substantial background that the
SMDC/ARSTRAT advances the Armys
space and missile defense efforts towards the 21st century.
SMDC History - The Early Years
- January 1957 - NIKE-ZEUS Research & Development begins
- December 1962 - First Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile intercept
- December 1964 - NIKE-X program starts
- September 1967 - SENTINEL deployment decision made
- March 1969 - SAFEGUARD deployment plan
- May 1972 - Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty signed
- February 1976 - SAFEGUARD deactivated
SMDC History - The Non-Nuclear Approach
- May 1974 - The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization is created
- 1974-81 - Congress bans prototyping
- 1982 - Ballistic Missile Defense Program directive
- March 1983 - President Ronald Reagan announces Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
program
- June 1984 - Homing Overlay Experiment intercept
- July 1985 - U.S. Army Strategic Defense Command established
- January 1991 - SDI redesignated as Global Protection Against Limited Strikes (GPALS)
- 1991 - Congress passes National Missile Defense plan
SMDC History - The New Frontiers
- October 1990 - High Energy Laser Test Facility (HELSTF) transfers to the command
- January 1991 - All Theater Missile Defense functions become part of the command
- August 1992 - U.S. Army Space and Strategic Defense Command (USASSDC) and the Program
Executive Office - GPALS are established
- May 1993 - Army Space Technology Research Office (ASTRO) joins USASSDC
- July 1994 - Army Space Program Office joins USASSDC
- October 1997 - The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command is created
MDA
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