MELBOURNE, Fla. — In a historic shift for U.S. space defense policy, L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) confirmed yesterday that its Meadowlands offensive space warfare system has successfully completed an “international Initial Baseline Review.”
This milestone, announced via the L3Harris newsroom on December 10, explicitly clears the path for the export of these advanced electromagnetic warfare (EW) capabilities to allied nations. This authorization marks the first time the U.S. Space Force (USSF) has permitted the foreign sale of its premier mobile satellite jamming capability, moving the asset from a strictly U.S.-proprietary guard to a federated coalition architecture.
From Unilateral to Federated Space Control
The Meadowlands system (technically known as the Counter Communications System Block 10.2) is a mobile, ground-based weapon designed to temporarily and reversibly jam adversary satellite communications. Until now, this capability was exclusively held and operated by USSF Space Delta 3.
The decision to authorize Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) signals a distinct pivot in Pentagon strategy:
- Distributed Lethality: By equipping “Five Eyes” partners (likely the UK, Australia, and Canada) and key NATO allies with Meadowlands units, the USSF effectively multiplies the number of jamming nodes globally.
- Complicating Targeting: A distributed network of allied jammers makes it significantly harder for adversaries like Russia or China to target or characterize the source of electronic attacks, as the “kill chain” is no longer solely reliant on U.S. assets.
System Capabilities & Open Architecture
Unlike its predecessor, the heavy and static CCS Block 10.1, Meadowlands is designed for rapid mobility. The system is mounted on wheeled trailers, allowing for a smaller logistical footprint and quick deployment to forward operating bases.
Critically, the export-authorized variant features an Open Architecture (OA) design. This allows allied operators to:
- Share Threat Libraries: Rapidly ingest new frequency data on hostile satellites.
- Software-Defined Updates: Push updates across the coalition fleet instantly, bypassing traditional, sluggish hardware retrofit cycles.
Market Impact
For L3Harris, this authorization opens a lucrative new revenue stream. Offensive space control has historically been a classified, niche market limited to U.S. DoD budgets. By essentially productizing space electronic warfare for the international market, L3Harris is positioning Meadowlands as a standard defensive commodity for allied nations, similar to missile defense batteries.
This development follows SatNews’ October 2024 reporting on the initial U.S. deployment of Meadowlands. The expansion to foreign sales less than 14 months later underscores the urgency the Pentagon places on countering the proliferation of Chinese and Russian military constellations.
SatNews Quicksheet: The Meadowlands System
| Feature | Details |
| Official Designation | Counter Communications System (CCS) Block 10.2 |
| Primary Function | Reversible Electronic Warfare (Satellite Jamming) |
| Mobility | Trailer-mounted; C-130 transportable |
| Target Strategy | Deny adversary SATCOM (Command & Control) without creating space debris |
| New Status | Authorized for Export / Allied Deployment |