Space Force accepts SBIRS upgrade for operations

The Space Force accepted the upgrade to the Space-Based Infrared System last week, the service announced today, which serves to boost missile warning capabilities.

The SBIRS Survivable Endurable Evolution program replaces 1960s-era ground systems, integrates Mobile Ground Terminals and Universal Ground Nuclear Detection Terminals and provides advanced processing and networking capabilities, Space Systems Command said.

“The S2E2 operational acceptance marks a significant leap forward in our ability to provide resilient, uninterrupted missile warning and nuclear detection in the most challenging environments,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Wilson, SSC materiel leader. “This achievement strengthens the backbone of our national defense and maintains the U.S. strategic advantage in an ever-evolving threat environment.”

S2E2 is the first program to deliver high-rate missile warning messages, Capt. Morgan Records, an SSC deputy program manager, said, allowing operators to more quickly relay critical data.

The program also plays a role in Nuclear Command and Control by providing space-based situational monitoring for first-alert missile warning to U.S. and allied forces.

Missile warning systems, particularly those in space, have gained more prominence in the past months as part of President Trump’s Golden Dome homeland defense initiative.