The U.S. Military Strikes On Syria Was The First Time That U.S. Air Force Space Experts Were Directly Involved In A Military Operation

Lockheed Martin

Popular Mechanics: How a Syrian Airstrike Got Help From Space

A glimpse at the early days of a new kind of space war, where 30-somethings are rewriting the rules from a command center in Qatar.

* On April 14, the U.S. and allies attacked chemical weapons plants in Syria, in retaliation for that country using chemical agents against its own citizens.
* The airstrike was different in one important way: Air Force space experts used satellites in tactical ways to plan and execute the attack, something the military has just started doing.
* This kind of teamwork makes airstrikes more accurate, resulting in more effective targeting with fewer civilian casualties.

It's early April, and the U.S. and its allies at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar are planning an air strike—retaliation against the Bashar al-Assad regime after another chemical attack on Syrian civilians. This particular planning mission will have two unusual participants.

Col. Dewitt Morgan, the director of spaces forces at U.S. Air Force Central Command, tasks two of his officers join the team crafting an attack plan. Space electronic warfare Capt. Andrew "Ghost" Harris and space weapons officer Capt. Ryan "Pippin" Foster have an urgent task—to make sure the coming allied strike takes full advantage of U.S. satellites in orbit.

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WNU Editor: This is where warfare is heading .... and in the event of a war between the major powers, a certainty that space assets will be targeted.