US Space Forces request $1.2bn to fund secret Long Range Kill Chains program to replace E-8C JSTARS aircraft

The United States Air Force will retire the E-8 Joint STARS command and control aircraft next year. Part of their functions will be taken over by satellites.

Here's What We Know

The US Space Force has requested $1.2bn for fiscal 2024 to fund the secretive Long Range Kill Chains programme. The project involves using satellites to track moving targets on land, in the air and at sea.

The programme was launched in 2022. Its goal is to develop a space-based architecture for continuous tracking of moving targets. Long Range Kill Chains was announced amid a growing threat from China and Russia, which are actively working on hypersonic weapons.

The programme will have three components. The ground component includes communication, processing and information transfer systems. The aerostatic component involves the use of unmanned aerial vehicles that can rise to an altitude of 20 kilometres. The space element consists of satellites equipped with radar and optical sensors.

Source: US Space Forces