Dec. 2 (UPI) — A new U.S. Space Force command called SPACECENT was activated Friday at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. It’s the second regional headquarters and will be part of U.S. Central Command.
SPACECENT will be led by Col. Christopher Putman and will have a staff of 28.
“Just as the evolution of space as a warfighting domain necessitated the establishment of a separate service, SPACECENT provides CENTCOM a subordinate command focused solely and continuously on space integration across the command — with all domains and all components,” Col. Putman said in a statement.
According to U.S. Central Command, SPACECENT will directly report to the CENTCOM commander and “is responsible for the execution of space operations” within the CENTCOM.
SPACECENT will be responsible for satellite-based navigation, missile launch detection and communications with troops in the U.S. Central Command region.
The Space Force was spun off from the U.S. Air Force in 2019 as a separate military service within the Department of the Air Force.
In 2020 the Space Force used information from space-based infrared satellites to warn U.S. troops that Iran had fired more than a dozen missiles at their base in Iraq.
U.S. Central Command said in a statement that activating the SPACECENT command in Florida provides a cadre of space experts “who work with allies and partners to integrate space activities into shared operations.”
Central Command said that enhances the ability to promote security and regional stability while also advancing U.S. partnerships in the region throughout the space domain.
