Space Fence achieves initial operational capability

The head of the Space Force confirmed today the service has declared initial operational capability for the Space Fence radar.

Gen. John Raymond told reporters during a briefing the service will announce the milestone later today.

The ground-based radar, located at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands and built by Lockheed Martin, will allow the Defense Department to detect, track and characterize a much larger catalogue of space objects in more detail than it has before.

The Air Force originally expected to declare IOC in 2018, but early schedule delays pushed the milestone by about 18 months. The Space Fence contract includes an option for a second radar site, which will likely be located in Australia, but the service has not yet requested funds for the effort. The system's full operational capability is dependent on the completion of the second site.