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www.AIRMANonline.af.mil 26 Air Force Space Command constantly strives to improve the “edge” American combat troops have on the battlefield. Today, embroiled in the race for technology and with a spirit of ingenuity, the men and women of AFSPC grant these forces many advantages unavail- able to the enemy. Since taking the reins in October 2007, Gen. C. Robert Kehler, commander of AFSPC, saw a need to improve that edge. With recent additions to the space stable, the general and his team of more than 39,000 space professionals, capitalized on emerging technologies, widening the gap between American troops and enemy combatants. Chief among the evolved technologies is a field of twinkling sat- ellites in the night sky including more than 30 Global Positioning System satellites working simultaneously to assist the joint and coalition team in many ways, including navigation, rescue opera- tions, and bomb and missile guidance. “We have witnessed a shift in understanding over the last decade,” said General Kehler. “Today, the joint warfighter has a far greater appreciation for the decisive, precise combat effects satellite constellations, such as the Global Positioning System, bring to the battlefield.” In addition to the GPS satellites, the first Wideband Global SATCOM satellite, the most powerful communications satellites in the Department of Defense, became operational in April 2008. Now with two of six satellites in orbit and operating, Air Force Space Command’s WGS satellites each provide more capac- ity than the entire legacy constellation. The Defense Satellite Communications System, with WGS is projected to eventually replace DSCS. “WGS will provide essential communication services for com- batant commanders to command and control their tactical forces,” said General Kehler. “It will provide a quantum leap in communi- cations bandwidth to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. “In the same vein, the Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite system will provide more survivable, jam-resistant, worldwide, secure communications with a 10-fold increase in capacity and more than five times the data rate of Milstar,” the general said. Satellites provide advantages for the joint warfighter; however, nuclear deterrence remains a high priority of the Air Force and the ultimate backstop of our nation’s security. It dissuades oppo- nents while assuring allies. Electronic warfare officers monitor a simulated test in the Central Control Facility at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., April 16. They use the CCF to oversee electronic warfare mission data flight testing. Portions of their missions may expand under the new AFCYBER commander. Pictured are Lt. Col. Tim Sands, 53th Electronic Warfare Group AFCYBER Transition Team Chief, Capt. Jon Smith, 36th Electronic Warfare Squadron Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses test director, and Lt. Col. John Arnold, 36th Electronic Warfare Squadron commander At Detachment 3, four “golf ball” protective covers that house satellite dishes are viewed during the darkness Jan. 25 at Thule Air Base, Greenland. Thule AB Airmen with two major space mis- sions support the Air Force Space Command mission.