Silent Sentry meets a decade of interstellar combat support

Senior Airman Casey Jones, an airman assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron Silent Sentry, is an operator for the Rapid Attack Identification Detection Reporting System Deployable Ground Segment, for which he routinely completes maintenance checks to ensure accuracy of signal strength and functionality. The Silent Sentry team monitors high priority satellite communication signals, detects electromagnetic interference on those signals and geolocates the source of that interference along with other signals of interest. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

Silent Sentry meets a decade of interstellar combat support

The 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron Silent Sentry operates through an antenna ‘farm’ of two weapons systems named Rapid Attack Identification Detection Reporting System Deployable Ground Segment 0 and Bounty Hunter, which provide the only Defense Space Control mission throughout the entire AOR. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

Silent Sentry meets a decade of interstellar combat support

Master Sgt. Brian Popham and Senior Airman Casey Jones, 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron Silent Sentry, calibrate an antenna’s height to correct a signal May 27, 2015 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The Silent Sentry team monitors high priority satellite communication signals, detects electromagnetic interference on those signals and geolocates the source of that interference along with other signals of interest. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

Silent Sentry meets a decade of interstellar combat support

Senior Airman Casey Jones, 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron Silent Sentry, adjusts an antenna to maximize the strength of the signal from an orbiting satellite May 27, 2015 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The Silent Sentry team monitors high priority satellite communication signals, detects electromagnetic interference on those signals and geolocates the source of that interference along with other signals of interest. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

Operation Inherent Resolve

Master Sgt. Brian Popham, 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron Silent Sentry, monitors and adjusts signal strength from an antenna during routine maintenance checks signal May 27, 2015 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The Silent Sentry team monitors high priority satellite communication signals, detects electromagnetic interference on those signals and geolocates the source of that interference along with other signals of interest. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

Silent Sentry meets a decade of interstellar combat support

Senior Airman Casey Jones, 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron Silent Sentry, uses a remote control to test the movement of an antenna that communicates to orbiting satellite May 27, 2015 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The Silent Sentry team monitors high priority satellite communication signals, detects electromagnetic interference on those signals and geolocates the source of that interference along with other signals of interest. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

Silent Sentry meets a decade of interstellar combat support

Master Sgt. Brian Popham and Senior Airman Casey Jones, 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron Silent Sentry, adjusts an antenna to maximize the strength of the signal from an orbiting satellite May 27, 2015 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The Silent Sentry team monitors high priority satellite communication signals, detects electromagnetic interference on those signals and geolocates the source of that interference along with other signals of interest. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

Silent Sentry meets a decade of interstellar combat support

Published June 5, 2015
By Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

AL UDEID AIR BASE, QATAR --

29 years ago, as a form of protest against cable companies charging fees to satellite dish owners, a man by the alias of Captain Midnight intruded into a live HBO telecast of ‘The Falcon and the Snowman’ utilizing equipment from where he worked at a teleport. This was a form of satellite communications (SATCOM) jamming and it allowed Capt Midnight to stop the HBO programming and insert his propaganda. This highlighted a vulnerability to SATCOM communications that we as a military rely upon heavily to meet our global communications needs. This vulnerability generated the need to establish Defensive Space Control systems to monitor and protect our SATCOM assets. One of these missions is right here at Al Udeid Air Base and goes by the name of Operation SILENT SENTRY.

Operation SILENT SENTRY was part of a proof of concept system in 2005. Back then, several airmen were deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar for 120 days. The mission was to test the capabilities of a new defensive counter-space system in support of joint warfighters in the AOR, and then leave once testing was complete. The capability was proven to be valuable in the protection of CENTCOM’s satellite networks, and 10 years later, SILENT SENTRY is still in business, and business is good.

“What we do is provide CENTCOM with defensive space control capabilities,” said Master Sgt. Brian Popham, 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron. “We monitor, detect, characterize and geographically locate sources of electromagnetic interference on high priority signals.”

OSS is able to find a signal that is causing interference with satellite communications, characterize the signal environment, and locate its origin. That information is then forwarded to support command and control of air, naval and ground forces to complete a full spectrum of situational knowledge. Two weapon systems, the Rapid Attack Identification Detection Reporting System Deployable Ground Segment-0 and Bounty Hunter provide the only Defensive Space Control mission in the AOR.

“Communication is key to our entire Joint and Coalition Forces' ability to effectively and efficiently conduct our missions each and every day. Our dependencies on SATCOM technologies have grown tremendously over the years to meet our operational needs,” said MSgt Jason Childers. “While military users benefit from these newer technologies, they also need additional protection and situational awareness into the electromagnetic spectrum in order to ensure robust communications.”

With upgrades in 2013, the primary focus was to improve response time to mission partners. Since then, SILENT SENTRY operators have created more elaborate geolocation capabilities to troubleshoot counter satellite communication electromagnetic interference situations. MSgt Childers said ‘it’s like solving a math problem, the more known variables you have, the easier, and faster, it is to solve the equation. The recent upgrades just filled in some of those variables to allow for faster and more accurate geolocations.’

Silent Sentry also employs the total package; Airmen deploy from several different career fields within Air Force Space Command. Total Force Integration is not an uncommon phrase among these warriors. Airmen are deployed here from both the 16th and the 380th Space Control Squadrons located at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado as well as several other squadrons. With having knowledge from across the spectrum, they were able to help the program evolve and become a more technical and valuable asset to CENTCOM.

“The majority of the reserve and active duty personnel that support this mission also work side-by-side

at home station. This allows the benefit of already having the inter-workings of professional relationships in-place and the team is ready to hit the ground running when they arrive to Al Udeid AB,“ said Childers.

Childers also said that the current Operation SILENT SENTRY architecture will provide the foundation for future defensive space control systems. The lessons learned and tactics, techniques, and procedures documented by current crews will continue to be used and refined to shape the future of the defensive space control mission area.

After ten years of defensive space control operations here at Al Udeid, there are no immediate plans to replace the systems here. Operation SILENT SENTRY will continue to defend our space-based communications through an open, decentralized, fast, performance-based environment and close with the adversary.