Space Delta 2 (DEL 2) is the

United States Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and the world's only independent space force. Along with its sister branch, the U.S. Air Force, the Space ...

space domain awareness Space domain awareness is the study and monitoring of satellites orbiting the earth. It involves the detection, tracking, cataloging and identification of artificial objects, i.e. active/inactive satellites, spent rocket bodies, or fragmentatio ...

delta and is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. Space Delta 2 tracks and monitors all manmade objects from

low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, with an altitude never mor ...

geosynchronous orbit A geosynchronous orbit (sometimes abbreviated GSO) is an Earth-centered orbit with an orbital period that matches Earth's rotation on its axis, 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds (one sidereal day). The synchronization of rotation and orbital ...

and further out to deep space. It also partners with the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

to provide weather satellite observation for the U.S. Armed Forces. It consists of the

18th Space Control Squadron The 18th Space Defense Squadron (18 SDS) is a United States Space Force Space Domain Awareness unit located at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The 18th SDS is tasked with executing command and control of the space surveillance network ...

20th Space Control Squadron The 20th Space Surveillance Squadron (20 SPSS) is a Space Delta 2 unit located at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida with the mission to execute multiplatform, tactical space warfighting domain characterization, recognition, and responsiveness to a ...

, and

21st Operations Support Squadron The 21st Operations Support Squadron (21 OSS) is a United States Space Force unit. Assigned to Space Operations Command's Space Delta 2, it provides operations support to the delta by providing weather information, coordinating the delta's squad ...

. Space Delta 2 was originally established on 1 February 1942 as the 21st Bombardment Group (21 BG), flying the B-25 Mitchell and B-26 Marauder in antisubmarine patrols during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. After the 21 BG inactivated in 1943, the 21st Fighter Group (21 FG) was activated in 1943 in Hawaii, flying the P-39 Aerocobra, P-38 Lightning, and P-51 Mustang during the

Battle of Iwo Jima The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJ ...

and escorting bombers during air raids on Japan until the 21 FS was inactivated in 1946. The 21st was reactivated again in 1952 as the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group (21 FBG) under the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing and flying the F-86 Sabre, deploying to support NATO forces in France during the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

before inactivating in 1958. Although the group would be redesignated the 21st Tactical Fighter Group (21 TFG) in 1985, it would not be reactivated until 1991 as the 21st Operations Group (21 OG), when it briefly was reactivated under the 21st Wing, providing air defense for Alaska flying the F-15C and F-15E, before inactivating later that year. The 21st Operations Group was reactivated under Air Force Space Command's

21st Space Wing The 21st Space Wing (21 SW) was the United States Space Force's ground–based missile warning and space control wing. The 21st Space Wing was assigned to Space Operations Command and headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The 21st ...

in 1992 and provided missile warning, space surveillance, and space control forces. On 24 July 2020, it was redesignated as Space Delta 2 and transferred from the Air Force to the Space Force on 21 October 2020.

History

Anti-submarine patrols in the American Theater

On 1 February 1942, the 21st Bombardment Group (Medium) was activated at Bowman Field, Kentucky under the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

' Air Force Combat Command, flying the North American B-25 Mitchell

medium bomber A medium bomber is a military bomber Fixed-wing aircraft, aircraft designed to operate with medium-sized Aerial bomb, bombloads over medium Range (aeronautics), range distances; the name serves to distinguish this type from larger heavy bombe ...

. It consisted of the 8th Reconnaissance Squadron (later redesignated the 398th Bombardment Squadron), 313th Bombardment Squadron, 314th Bombardment Squadron, and 315th Bombardment Squadron. On 6 February 1942, the 21st Bombardment Group moved to Jackson Army Air Base, Mississippi, serving as an operational training group. On 11 March 1942, it was realigned under the

3rd Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in Eu ...

III Bomber Command The III Bomber Command is a disbanded United States Air Force headquarters. It was established in September 1941, shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor to command bomber units assigned to 3rd Air Force. Following the entry of the United St ...

and on 21 April 1942 moved to Columbia Army Air Base. On 2 May 1942, it was briefly reassigned from III Bomber Command to

XII Bomber Command XII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces formation. Its last assignment was with the Twelfth Air Force, based in Corsica, France. It was constituted on 26 February 1942, activated on 13 March 1942, and inactivated on 10 J ...

, before being regained by III Bomber Command on 8 May 1942 and moved to Key Field, Mississippi on 24 May 1942. On 24 June 1942, the 21st Bombardment Group moved to

MacDill Field MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...

, Florida and converted to Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers. While stationed at MacDill Field, the group conducted anti-submarine patrols in the Caribbean Sea, participating in the American Theater of

. On 10 October 1943, the 21st Bombardment Group was inactivated.

Bomber escort and fighter operations in the Pacific Theater

21st Fighter Group P-51s at Iwo Jima - 1945

On 31 March 1944, the 21st Fighter Group, Two Engine, was activated on 21 April at Wheeler Field, Hawaii and assigned to the US Army Air Forces, Central Pacific Area before being realigned under Seventh Air Force's

VII Fighter Command The VII Fighter Command was a command and control organization of the United States Army Air Forces. Its last assignment was with Far East Air Forces. The Headquarters were based at several locations with forward command moving with the campaigns ...

on 24 April 1944. The 21st Fighter Group consisted of the 46th Fighter Squadron, 72nd Fighter Squadron, and 531st Fighter Squadron and flew the Bell P-39Q Airacobra. Tasked with providing

air defense Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

over the Hawaiian Islands, the 21st Fighter Wing was realigned under the 7th Fighter Wing on 3 July 1944 and began upgrading to the Lockheed P-38J/L Lightning in September 1944. In October 1944, the 21st Fighter Group switched aircraft again, flying the North American P-51 Mustang and transferring to Mokuleia Field, Hawaii on 13 October 1944. On 10 November 1944, the 21st Fighter Group was realigned under the VII Fighter Command, but remained attached to the 7th Fighter Wing until 28 February 1945. 21st Fighter Group P-51s at Iwo Jima 2 - 1945

21st Fighter Group P-51s at Iwo Jima 2 - 1945

In February 1945, the 21st Fighter Group was directly resubordinated under the VII Fighter Command and transported by ships to Iwo Jima, arriving at Central Field on 25 March 1945. On the Morning of 26 February 1945, the elements of the 21st Fighter Group was attacked by

Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...

soldiers on the ground. Fighting alongside a contingent of

U.S. Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the Marines, maritime land force military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary warfare, exped ...

, the airmen killed 250 Japanese soldiers in tent-to-tent fighting, with fourteen 21st Fighter Group airmen killed and 50, including the group commander, Colonel Kenneth R. Powell, were wounded. Following the engagement on the ground, the 21st Fighter Group provided

close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...

for the remainder of the

. Following the island's capture, the 21st Fighter Group began conducting long-range

bomber escort The escort fighter was a concept for a fighter aircraft designed to escort bombers to and from their targets. An escort fighter needed range long enough to reach the target, loiter over it for the duration of the raid to defend the bombers, and r ...

missions, with the first occurring on 7 April 1945, where P-51 Mustangs from the group escorted B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers striking the Nakajima Aircraft Company in Tokyo. This mission was the first time bombers over Japan were accompanied by escort fighters and was the longest over-water fighter escort mission to that point during World War II. On 16 July 1945, the group transferred to Iwo Jima's South Field and flew its last combat mission over Japan on 14 August 1954. For its raid over Nakajima Aircraft Company, the 21st Fighter Group was awarded the

Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...

. After the end of World War II, the 21st Fighter Group transferred to Isely Field, Saipan on 4 December 1945 and then to

Northwest Field Northwest Field (historically Northwest Guam Air Force Base) is a military airfield in Guam. Built in 1945 during World War II, the airfield was used as a bomber base during and after the war until it was closed in 1949. Units deployed to the ...

, Guam on 17 April 1946. The 21st Fighter Group was inactivated on 10 October 1946.

NATO deployment to France

72d Fighter-Bomber Squadron - North American F-86F-35-NA Sabre - 52-5233

On 1 January 1953, the 21st was reactivated as the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group at George Air Force Base, California under the

21st Fighter-Bomber Wing The 21st Space Wing (21 SW) was the United States Space Force's ground–based missile warning and space control wing. The 21st Space Wing was assigned to Space Operations Command and headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The 21st ...

. Following the end of World War II, the

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...

replaced the group as the primary unit of organization within the Air Force. Initially organized under

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...

's Ninth Air Force, the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group consisted of its World War II 72nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron and 531st Fighter-Bomber Squadron, adding the 416th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. Initially flying the F-51 Mustang fighter, within six months of activation, the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group had transitioned to the

North American F-86F Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...

, a first-generation jet fighter. In September and October 1953, the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group participated in a special arctic warfare program at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Following the completion of this exercise, it sent six F-86s to participate in Project Willtour, which consisted of an 11,000 mile tour of twelve Central, Caribbean, and South American countries. In April and May 1954, it participated in Operation Boxkite at North Field, South Carolina, testing the ability for a tactical wing to deploy to a forward location and sustain thirty days of combat operations. Following the completion of these exercises, on 22 June 1954, the Secretary of the Air Force announced that the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing, including the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group, would be deployed to Chambley Air Base, France, under

Twelfth Air Force The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is the air component to U ...

and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to defend against the

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republic ...

and

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. While the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing's personnel moved in four tranches across air, land, and sea transport, the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group's F-86s flew directly, stopping in Labrador, Greenland, Iceland, and Scotland. The 21st Fighter-Bomber Group officially was stationed at Chambley Air Base on 12 December 1954, however the airfield could not handle the jet fighters until it was upgraded by Air Force engineers in June 1956. The flying elements of the group operated in the interim out of a variety of airfields in the French countryside. One of the most notable pilots in the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group was then-First Lieutenant

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...

, who would later become a

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

astronaut, flying the Gemini 10 and

Apollo 11 Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, an ...

missions, before retiring from the Air Force as a major general. The 21st Fighter-Bomber Group conducted close air support training with

United States Army Europe United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) /Theater Army responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICO ...

land forces and took first place at the

United States Air Forces in Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

's gunnery meet at

Wheelus Field Wheelus Air Base was a United States Air Force base located in British-occupied Libya and the Kingdom of Libya from 1943 to 1970. At one time it was the largest US military facility outside the US. It had an area of on the coast of Tripoli. Th ...

, Libya. In 1955, the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group participated NATO's Carte Blanche atomic warfare exercise and took second place at Nellis Air Force Base's gunnery exercise in 1956. The unit also won the United States Air Forces in Europe award for tactical proficiency in 1957. On 8 February 1958, the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group and 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing were inactivated.

Alaskan air defense operations

US F-15s and Soviet MiG-29s over Alaska 1989

While the 21st Wing would continue, Air Force policy on operations groups resulted in the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group remaining inactive for the following decades. In 1985, it was redesignated as the 21st Tactical Fighter Group, but not activated until 25 September 1991 as the 21st Operations Group under the

21st Wing The 21st Space Wing (21 SW) was the United States Space Force's ground–based missile warning and space control wing. The 21st Space Wing was assigned to Space Operations Command and headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The 21st ...

at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It briefly consisted of the

43rd Fighter Squadron The 43d Fighter Squadron is part of the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. It conducts advanced fighter training for F-22 Raptor pilots. The squadron is one of the oldest in the United States Air Force, its origins dating ...

54th Fighter Squadron The 54th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 3d Operations Group, being stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It was inactivated on 28 April 2000. History World War II Activated ...

, and

90th Fighter Squadron The 90th Fighter Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 3d Operations Group, 3d Wing, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, Pacific Air Forces. The squadron is equipped with the F-22 Raptor fighter. The 90 FS is one of ...

under Alaskan Air Command and supporting North American Aerospace Defense Command. The 43rd Fighter Squadron and 54th Fighter Squadron flew the

McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas' ...

, while the 90th Fighter Squadron flew the

McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15E Strike Eagle is an American all-weather multirole strike fighter derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high-speed interdiction without relyi ...

. Following the 21st Operations Group's activation, the Air Force implemented a program that directed that each base would have one wing and one commander. The 21st Wing and

3rd Wing The 3rd Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) Eleventh Air Force. It is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. The Wing is the largest and principal unit within 11th Air For ...

shared Elmendorf Air Force Base, resulting in the 21st Wing, and 21st Operations Group's inactivation on 19 December 1991.

From space surveillance to space control

On 15 May 1992, the 21st Operations Group was reactivated alongside the

at Peterson Air Force Base under Air Force Space Command, with the 21st Operations Group specifically absorbing the responsibilities of the former

1st Space Wing The 1st Space Wing was a wing of the United States Air Force active from 1983 to 1992 at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado as part of Air Force Space Command.missile warning. It operated the Defense Support Program missile warning constellation, which was flown by the

2nd Space Warning Squadron The 2nd Space Warning Squadron Is part of the Space Delta 4 at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado. It operates the Space-Based Infrared System satellites conducting global monitoring for significant infrared events. The squadron's mission is to o ...

Buckley Air National Guard Base Buckley Space Force Base is a United States Space Force base in Aurora, Colorado named after United States Army Air Service First Lieutenant John Harold Buckley. The base is run by Space Base Delta 2, with major units including the U.S. Space For ...

and the

5th Space Warning Squadron The United States Air Force's 5th Space Warning Squadron (5 SWS) was a missile warning unit located at Woomera AS, Australia. It used to be known as the 5th Joint Defense Space Communications Squadron. Commanders *Col John Harris (1993–1995) ...

at Woomera Air Station, Australia, while the

4th Space Warning Squadron The 4th Space Warning Squadron is an active United States Air Force Reserve Command unit, formerly located at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, and now located at Buckley Space Force Base. The unit was activated on August 3, 2019. It was previ ...

operated the Mobile Ground Station from Holloman Air Force Base, before transferring the mission to the

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

137th Space Warning Squadron 137th may refer to: * 137th (Calgary) Battalion, CEF, unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War * 137th Air Reconnaissance Regiment, air reconnaissance and guidance regiment, part of the SFR Yugoslav Air Force * 137th Spec ...

in 1997. The

11th Space Warning Squadron The 11th Space Warning Squadron is a United States Space Force missile warning squadron, located at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado. Mission The mission of the 11th Space Warning Squadron is to provide theater missile warnings to warfighters ...

was activated in 1994 at

Falcon Air Force Base Schriever Space Force Base, previously Schriever Air Force Base, Falcon Air Force Base, and Falcon Air Force Station, is a base of the United States Space Force located approximately east of Peterson Space Force Base near Colorado Springs i ...

to operate the Attack and Launch Early Reporting to Theater (ALERT) missile warning system. The 21st Operations Group also inherited three Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) radars, operated by the

13th Space Warning Squadron The 13th Space Warning Squadron (13SWS) is a missile warning unit assigned to the United States Space Force and located at Clear Space Force Station 5 miles (8 km) south of Anderson, Alaska Mission The primary mission of the 13th SWS is to ...

Clear Air Force Station Clear Space Force Station is a United States Space Force radar station for detecting incoming ICBMs and submarine-launched ballistic missiles to NORAD's command center and to provide Space Surveillance data to the United States Space Force. Cle ...

, Alaska,

12th Space Warning Squadron The 12th Space Warning Squadron is a United States Space Force ground-based radar used for missile warning, missile defense, and space situation awareness, stationed at Thule Air Base, Greenland. Overview The primary mission of the 12th SWS is ...

at Thule Air Base, Greenland, and a

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

operated radar at RAF Fylingdales. As the BMEWS radars had been in operation since the 1960s, the sites were in the process of being upgraded to the

Solid State Phased Array Radar System The Solid State Phased Array Radar System (SSPARS, colloquially "BMEWS radar network'" as late as 2004) is a United States Space Force radar, computer, and communications system for missile warning and space surveillance "at five (5) geographica ...

(SSPAR), with Thule Air Base's being upgraded in 1987, RAF Fylingdales' in 1992, and Clear Air Force Station's in 2001. The 21st Operations Group also inherited the

PAVE PAWS PAVE PAWS (PAVE Phased Array Warning System) is a complex Cold War early warning radar and computer system developed in 1980 to "detect and characterize a sea-launched ballistic missile attack against the United States". With the first solid-st ...

radars operated by the

6th Space Warning Squadron The 6th Space Warning Squadron is located at Cape Cod Space Force Station, in Sagamore, Massachusetts. It operates the PAVE PAWS radar to watch for missiles launched toward North America. The squadron is assigned to Space Delta 4. The squadron wa ...

at Cape Cod Air Force Station,

7th Space Warning Squadron The 7th Space Warning Squadron (SWS) is the premier Space Domain Awareness sensor on the West Coast. The unit was originally established to guard the U.S. West Coast against sea-launched ballistic missiles from the eastern outskirts of Beale Air ...

at Beale Air Force Base,

8th Space Warning Squadron The United States Air Force's 8th Space Warning Squadron is an Air Force Reserve missile warning unit located at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado. The 8th works alongside its active duty counterpart, the 2d Space Warning Squadron, on the Defe ...

Eldorado Air Force Station Eldorado Air Force Station located south of San Angelo, Texas was one of the four unique AN/FPS-115 PAVE PAWS, early-warning phased-array radar systems. The 8th Space Warning Squadron, 21st Space Wing, Air Force Space Command operated at El ...

, and 9th Space Warning Squadron at Robins Air Force Base. The last ground-based missile warning radar operated by the 21st Operations Group was the

AN/FPQ-16 PARCS The AN/FPQ-16 Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS or EPARCS) is a powerful United States Space Force phased-array radar system located in North Dakota. It is the second most powerful phased array radar system in ...

Cavalier Air Force Station The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ). It ...

and operated by the

10th Space Warning Squadron The United States Space Force's 10th Space Warning Squadron (10 SWS), is a missile warning unit located at Cavalier Space Force Station, North Dakota. Mission 10 SWS provides tactical warning and attack assessment of sea-launched and intercontin ...

. Following the end of the Cold War and the implementation of budget cuts, the radars and squadrons as Eldorado Air Force Station and Robins Air Force Base were inactivated. The 21st Operations Group also operated a network of

space surveillance Space domain awareness is the study and monitoring of satellites orbiting the earth. It involves the detection, tracking, cataloging and identification of artificial objects, i.e. active/inactive satellites, spent rocket bodies, or fragmentatio ...

radars across the Earth. The AN/FPS-79 was operated by the 19th Space Surveillance Squadron at

Pirinçlik Air Base Pirinçlik Air Base ( tr, Pirinçlik Hava Üssü), also known as Pirinçlik Air Station, formerly Diyarbakır Air Station, was a 41-year-old American-Turkish military base near Diyarbakir, Turkey. It was known as NATO's frontier post for monitorin ...

, Turkey. The radar and its predecessor had been conducting operations since 1955 and monitored space and missile launches out of the

and Russia, including the launch of

Sputnik Sputnik 1 (; see § Etymology) was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It sent a radio signal back to Earth for t ...

Vostok Vostok refers to east in Russian but may also refer to: Spaceflight * Vostok programme, Soviet human spaceflight project * Vostok (spacecraft), a type of spacecraft built by the Soviet Union * Vostok (rocket family), family of rockets derived from ...

, and events related to

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

until it was inactivated in 1999. The 21st Operations Group also gained the 20th Space Surveillance Squadron, which had operated the AN/FPS-85 at

Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The ...

since 1988. Detachments of the 18th Space Surveillance Squadron operated the

Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance The United States Space Surveillance Network (SSN) detects, tracks, catalogs and identifies artificial objects orbiting Earth, e.g. active/inactive satellites, spent rocket bodies, or fragmentation debris. The system is the responsibility of Uni ...

System (GEODSS), with Detachment 1 operating at

Socorro, New Mexico Socorro (, '' sə-KOR-oh'') is a city in Socorro County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is in the Rio Grande Valley at an elevation of . In 2010 the population was 9,051. It is the county seat of Socorro County. Socorro is located south of A ...

, Detachment 2 at Diego Garcia, and Detachment 3 at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex, replacing the older network of

Baker-Nunn camera A Schmidt camera, also referred to as the Schmidt telescope, is a catadioptric astrophotographic telescope designed to provide wide fields of view with limited aberrations. The design was invented by Bernhard Schmidt in 1930. Some notable ex ...

s. Detachment 4 operated the Transportable Optical System (TOS) at Morón Air Base starting in September 1998, and was renamed the Moron Optical Surveillance System (MOSS) in 1999. In November 2005, Morón Air Base would receive the El Raven telescope and in June 2006 it would gain the RO4 high-volume superior resolution camera. The 21st Operations Group also operated two passive radars, with the Deep Space Tracking System antennas operated by the 3rd Space Surveillance Squadron at Misawa Air Base, Japan and

5th Space Surveillance Squadron The United States Space Force's 5th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron (5 EWS) is a space electromagnetic warfare unit located at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. Mission The mission of the 5 SSS was to operate the Low Altitude Space Surveill ...

RAF Feltwell Royal Air Force Feltwell or more simply RAF Feltwell is a Royal Air Force station in Norfolk, East Anglia that is used by the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. The station is located about 10 miles west of Thetford, and i ...

. The Low Altitude Space Surveillance System was operated by the

4th Space Surveillance Squadron The United States Space Force's 4th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron (4 EWS) is an offensive space electromagnetic warfare unit formerly located at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, stood up operations 1 July 2014 at Peterson Space Force Bas ...

at Lackland Air Force Base, Detachment 1 at Osan Air Base, Korea, the

1st Space Surveillance Squadron The United States Air Force's 1st Space Surveillance Squadron (1 SSS) was a space surveillance unit located at Griffiss AFB, New York. Mission The mission of the 1 SSS was to operate the Low Altitude Space Surveillance (LASS) system to gathe ...

at Griffiss Air Force Base, and the

17th Space Surveillance Squadron The United States Air Force's 17th Expeditionary Space Control Squadron is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. As the 17th Space Surveillance Squadron, the unit operated sensors for ...

RAF Edzell The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

. In 1995, the 1st Space Surveillance Squadron inactivated, and in 1996 the 17th Space Surveillance Squadron followed suit, with Detachment 1 inactivating in 1997. The remaining passive radar systems were shut down, with the 5th Space Surveillance Squadron inactivating in January 2002 and the 3rd Space Surveillance Squadron following in February 2002. 2008 Eglin AFB Site C-6 phased array building

2008 Eglin AFB Site C-6 phased array building

The 21st Operations Group maintained a set of command and control squadrons to coordinate its primary missions. The

1st Command and Control Squadron First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number 1 (number), one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, D ...

, based at

Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station (CMSFS) is located in Cheyenne Mountain on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in unincorporated El Paso County, Colorado, next to Colorado Springs, The Cheyenne Mountain Complex, an underground facility ...

, was responsible for tasking the United States Space Surveillance Network and maintained the space catalog. The 2nd Command and Control Squadron operated out of

Schriever Air Force Base Schriever Space Force Base, previously Schriever Air Force Base, Falcon Air Force Base, and Falcon Air Force Station, is a base of the United States Space Force located approximately east of Peterson Space Force Base near Colorado Springs in ...

and controlled the passive space surveillance network. The

3rd Command and Control Squadron The United States Air Force's 3d Command and Control Squadron (3 CACS) was a command and control unit located at Offutt AFB, Nebraska. Mission The 3d Command and Control Squadron mission was shrouded in secrecy, however some details from its loca ...

was based at

Offutt Air Force Base Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base south of Omaha, adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the 557th Weather Wing, and the 55th Wing (55 WG) of the Air ...

and served as the alternate Missile Warning Center. In 1998, the 2nd Command and Control Squadron would transfer to the

14th Air Force The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The command was responsible for the organizatio ...

as passive space surveillance units began inactivating, while new capabilities at the Missile Warning Center rendered the 3rd Command and Control Squadron redundant, inactivating in 1999. The 1st Command and Control Squadron was realigned under the

614th Air and Space Operations Center The 614th Air Operations Center (614 AOC) was a space operations center of the United States Space Force's Space Operations Command. It served as the core of the Combined Space Operations Center, as well as serving as the Space Force's primary fo ...

in June 2008. In 1996, the 821st Space Group was activated at

under the 21st Space Wing, gaining the Defense Support Program and its squadrons from the 21st Operations Group. On 1 October 1994, the 21st Crew Training Squadron inactivated and in 1997 the 84th Airlift Flight, which operated the

Learjet C-21 The Learjet Model 35 and Model 36 are a series of American multi-role business jets and military transport aircraft manufactured by Learjet. When used by the United States Air Force they carry the designation C-21A. The aircraft are powered by ...

for Air Force Space Command, was transferred to

Air Mobility Command Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri. Air Mobility Command was established on 1 June 1992, and was formed from elements ...

Following increased proliferation of debris and international actors in space, the 21st Operations Group began to transition from space surveillance to space control, or counterspace, renaming its squadrons. Space control squadrons were intended to guard against hostile action while also preventing collision with space debris. The first space control squadron, the 76th Space Operations Squadron was activated at Peterson Air Force Base in 2000 and renamed the 76th Space Control Squadron in January 2001, receiving initial operational capability on the Counter Communications System in September 2004. On 1 March 2003, all space surveillance squadrons were redesignated as space control squadrons. In July 2005, the

4th Space Control Squadron The United States Space Force, United States Space Force's 4th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron (4 EWS) is an offensive space electromagnetic warfare unit formerly located at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, stood up operations 1 July 2014 a ...

at Holloman Air Force Base began to move into the space control mission in July 2005, activating its first counter communications system in April 2006, transferring to Peterson Air Force Base in July 2014 and absorbing the 76th Space Control Squadron in February 2015. In May 2007, the

16th Space Control Squadron The 16th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron (16 EWS) is an active United States Space Force unit, stationed at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado as part of the Space Delta 3. The squadron protects critical satellite communication links to detect, ...

was activated at Peterson Air Force Base as a defensive space control squadron. As part of an Air Force manpower saving program, the

was inactivated in April 2004, with its Detachments 1-4 directly realigned under the 21st Operations Group. In August 2004, the

activated Detachment 1 at Naval Support Activity Dahlgren to operate the

Air Force Space Surveillance System The AN/FPS-133 Air Force Space Surveillance System, colloquially known as the Space Fence, was a U.S. government multistatic radar system built to detect orbital objects passing over America. It is a component of the U.S. space surveillance ...

(formerly the Navy Space Surveillance System) and the Alternate Space Control Center. Detachment 1, 20th Space Control Squadron was inactivated in April 2010, followed by the inactivation of Detachment 4, 21st Operations Group at Morón Air Base in March 2013. In April 2013, the

gained oversight of the Cobra Dane radar at Eareckson Air Station, Alaska. On 20 April 2016, the GEODSS detachments transitioned from the 21st Operations Group to the 20th Space Control Squadron and the 18th Space Control Squadron was reactivated on 22 July 2016 at Vandenberg Air Force Base. In 2019, the 721st Operations Group was activated and gained the 4th Space Control Squadron and 16th Space Control Squadron.

The Space Force's space domain awareness delta

Following the establishment of the

, the 21st Space Wing and 21st Operations Group remained units of the U.S. Air Force assigned to

. On 24 July 2020, the Space Force reorganized its wings and groups into deltas, inactivating the 21st Space Wing and redesignated the 21st Operations Group as Space Delta 2. Space Delta 2 transferred its space warning squadrons to Space Delta 4, retaining its space domain awareness squadrons. On 21 October 2020, with the redesignation of United States Space Force as Space Operations Command, Space Delta 2 transferred from a unit of the United States Air Force to the United States Space Force.

Symbolism

21st Operations Group emblem

The 21st Operations Group emblem was shared with the

and its other groups. The blue represents the vast blue sky-the 21st's area of operations. The upraised sword indicates the strength and readiness of the wing to perform its mission, whether in peace or war. The lightning is symbolic of the heavens beyond, the stormy power and protective Lord. The Air Force blue, red, and yellow signifies the three fighter squadrons of the 21st Fighter–Bomber Wing. The emblem was approved on 23 July 1957. The motto "Strength and Preparedness" is derived from the original motto of the 21st Fighter-bomber Wing "Fortitudo et Preparatio."

Structure

List of commanders

References

{{United States Space Force Deltas of the United States Space Force