13th Space Warning Squadron

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13th Space Warning Squadron

13th Space Warning Squadron emblem
Active 19xx-Present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Type Space Situational Awareness
Role Missile Warning
Part of 21st Space Wing
Garrison/HQ Clear Air Force Station

The 13th Space Warning Squadron (13SWS) is a missile warning unit assigned to the United States Air Force.

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[edit] Mission

The primary mission of the 13th SWS is to provide early warning of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) launches to the Missile Warning Center at North American Aerospace Defense Command. The secondary mission of the 13SWS is to provide space surveillance data on orbiting objects to the Space Control Center also located in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.

[edit] History

[edit] Operations

The 13th SWS is controlled by the Missile Warning Center, part of the NORAD, and by the Space Control Center, part of United States Strategic Command. Both agencies are located at the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center in Colorado. Clear accomplishes these missions using the Solid State Phased Array Radar System (SSPARS) radar. Clear's radar was originally located at El Dorado Air Station, Texas as part of the PAVE PAWS program and was only recently transplanted to Alaska to replace the US' last mechanical missile warning radar site.

[edit] References