SEPTEMBER 13, 2024 – A group of 18 personnel from the 4th Space Operations Squadron, a component of Delta 8, headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, traveled to Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam for a contingency operations exercise to test a highly technical piece of equipment known as a Mobile Constellation Control Station.
“The Milstar and Advanced Extremely High Frequency military satellite communications system provides survivable, endurable and protected communications for the highest levels of military and civilian leadership within the Department of Defense,” said Tech. Sgt. Andrew White, 4th SOPS transition maintenance supervisor.
In today’s complex and rapidly evolving military landscape, reliable and secure communications are necessary. The MCCS is a tool that plays a crucial role in providing the linkages that enable military units to maintain contact with command centers and intelligence gathering systems.
“We provide warfighters global, secure, survivable, strategic and tactical communications during peacetime and throughout the full spectrum of conflict,” said Capt. William Farrar, 4th SOPS mobile operations flight chief.
White explained the goal behind this complex and far-reaching mission.
“This exercise is intended to test site functionality and to lay the groundwork for establishing an additional operating site in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility, with the goal of [creating] a Memorandum of Agreement between Space Operations Command and JBPHH, on behalf of the 4th SOPS,” White said.
To meet these goals, the team needed to bring the equipment to JBPHH and set it up, enabling them to test the viability of the location with the knowledge that aspects of certain environments can prevent a successful outcome.
“Several factors were taken into consideration in regard to a viable site location and testing of our equipment to include line of sight to [the] satellite, which is the most important factor,” Farrar said. “If our antenna is not capable of pointing to a satellite in space, then the location simply would not work.”
In addition to the line of sight, other aspects had to be carefully considered such as security, power hook-ups and fuel access.
“During our testing, we verified that we could connect to a satellite within the (U.S. Indo-Pacific Command) area of responsibility through our mobile antenna,” White said. “After confirming connection with the satellite, we began to test several system tactics, techniques, procedures and checklists to verify that we have command and control over the satellite.”
After establishing successful contact and meeting the main objectives, the team was able to take stock of their accomplishment and prepared to return home from their multi-day mission.
“The general group feeling is typically relief, pride and a sense of accomplishment to the 4th SOPS mobility mission,” White said. “We train hard and take pride in what we do. Whenever we successfully test the MCCS in a new location, we validate all the hard work and long hours spent working toward this goal.”
By Tech. Sgt. Tarelle Walker