Cape Cod Space Force Station

41°45′12″N 70°32′19″W / 41.7532°N 70.5385°W / 41.7532; -70.5385TypeUS Space Force StationSite informationOwnerDepartment of DefenseOperatorUnited States Space ForceControlled bySpace Operations CommandConditionOperationalRadar typeAN/FPS-123 PAVE PAWS (Phased Array Warning System)Site historyBuilt1976 (1976)–1980In use1980–presentGarrison informationGarrisonSpace Base Delta 2Occupants6th Space Warning Squadron

Cape Cod Space Force Station is a United States Space Force station located in the northwest corner of Joint Base Cape Cod, United States, on Flatrock Hill in Bourne, Massachusetts. Cape Cod Space Force Station began construction in 1976 as Cape Cod Missile Early Warning Station and was renamed Cape Cod Air Force Station in 1982, before assuming its current name in 2021.

Missile warning and space surveillance operations are conducted by Space Delta 4's 6th Space Warning Squadron while base administration is the responsibility of Buckley Garrison.

History

On 27 August 1973, the United States Air Force directed the construction of two phased array missile warning radar systems, specifically to defend against the launch of submarine-launched ballistic missiles. On 23 May 1975 it was announced that the east coast site would be located at Otis Air Force Base at Cape Cod and the west coast site would be located at Beale Air Force Base. Construction on the Cape Cod Missile Warning Station began on 26 October 1976. On 1 October 1979, the 6th Missile Warning Squadron and 2165th Communications Squadron were established and the facility became operational on 4 April 1980 under Aerospace Defense Command's 21st Air Division. On 1 December 1979, Aerospace Defense Command's missile warning and space surveillance radars were transferred to Strategic Air Command, with Cape Cod Missile Warning Station becoming part of the 45th Air Division.^[1]

On 5 January 1982, Cape Cod Missile Warning Station's name was changed to Cape Cod Air Force Station and became part of Air Force Space Command's 1st Space Wing on 1 May 1983. In 1986, the 2165th Communications Squadron was merged into the 6th Missile Warning Squadron. On 15 May 1992, the 6th Missile Warning Squadron was redesignated as the 6th Space Warning Squadron and reassigned to the 21st Space Wing's 21st Operations Group. On 20 December 2019, the 6th Space Warning Squadron became part of the United States Space Force and on 24 July 2020, the 6th Space Warning Squadron became part of Space Delta 4 and Buckley Garrison became responsible for installation support.^[2]

On 11 June 2021, Cape Cod Air Force Station was renamed Cape Cod Space Force Station.^[3]

Units

6th Space Warning Squadron

The 6th Space Warning Squadron is responsible for operating the AN/FPS-132 Upgraded Early Warning Radar and is part of Space Delta 4. The 6th Space Warning Squadron has been the host unit at Cape Cod Space Force Station since 1979. In addition to Space Force guardians, there are a number of Royal Canadian Air Force airmen and airwomen assigned to the squadron. The primary mission of the squadron is to guard the United States and Canadian east coast against sea-launched and intercontinental ballistic missile attacks, which is then routed to the Missile Defense Agency and United States Space Command's Missile Warning Center for missile defense operations. The squadron's secondary mission is tracking low-earth-orbiting objects, such as the International Space Station, which is reported to the 18th Space Control Squadron.^[4]

Base assignment and major units

Name	Military service	Assigned command	Higher headquarters/ garrison	Major units
Cape Cod Missile Warning Station (1 October 1979–5 January 1982)	United States Air Force	Aerospace Defense Command (1 October 1979–1 December 1979) Strategic Air Command (1 December 1979–1 May 1983)	21st Air Division (1 October 1979–1 December 1979) 45th Air Division (1 December 1979–1 May 1983)	6th Space Warning Squadron
Cape Cod Air Force Station (5 January 1982–11 June 2021)		Air Force Space Command	1st Space Wing (1 May 1983–15 May 1992) 21st Space Wing (15 May 1992–24 July 2020)
Cape Cod Space Force Station (11 June 2021–present)	United States Space Force	Space Operations Command	Space Base Delta 2	6th Space Warning Squadron

Gallery

• 
  Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno, Rep. Bill Keating, Lt. Col. Timothy Sheehan, and other dignitaries including Walter Taylor and Greg Moore attend the installation's redesignation as a Space Force Station.
• 
  Member of Air Force Security Forces standing watch in front of the PAVE PAWS installation at Cape Cod SFS, 2021.
• 
  The entrance to the station while designated an Air Force Station
• 
  Radar screen for the PAVE PAWS at Cape Cod AFS, 1986.
• 
  Computer room for PAVE PAWS at Cape Cod AFS, 1986. Note the four large hard disk units in the foreground.

See also

• List of military installations in Massachusetts
• List of United States Space Force installations

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Leadership

Oversight	House Armed Services Committee Strategic Forces subcommittee Senate Committee on Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee

Structure

Field commands	Space Futures Command Space Operations Command Commander Space Systems Command Commander Space Training and Readiness Command Commander
Component Field Commands	United States Space Forces Central United States Space Forces Europe and Africa United States Space Forces Indo-Pacific United States Space Forces Korea United States Space Forces – Space
Deltas	Space Delta 1 Space Delta 2 Space Delta 3 Space Delta 4 Space Delta 5 Space Delta 6 Space Delta 7 Space Delta 8 Space Delta 9 Space Delta 10 Space Delta 11 Space Delta 12 Space Delta 13 Space Delta 15 Space Delta 18 Space Delta 21 Space Delta 23 Space Delta 26 Space Launch Delta 30 Space Launch Delta 45 PNT IMD (P) Space Base Delta 1 Space Base Delta 2 Space Base Delta 3
Squadrons	1st Delta Operations 319th Combat Training 328th Weapons 392d Combat Training 533rd Training 21st Operations Support 15th Space Surveillance 18th Space Defense 19th Space Defense 20th Space Surveillance 3rd Combat Training 4th EW 5th EW 16th EW 23rd EW 2nd Space Warning 3rd satellite Communications 5th Space Warning 6th Space Warning 7th Space Warning 10th Space Warning 11th Space Warning 12th Space Warning 13th Space Warning 55th Combat Training 21st Space Operations 22nd Space Operations 23rd Space Operations 62nd Cyberspace 63rd Cyberspace 64th Cyberspace 65th Cyberspace 68th Cyberspace 69th Cyberspace 645th Cyberspace 71st ISR 72nd ISR 73rd ISR 74th ISR 75th ISR 76th ISR 1st Space Operations 2nd Space Operations 3rd Space Operations 4th Space Operations 10th Space Operations 53rd Space Operations 527th Space Aggressor 1st Test and Evaluation 3rd Test and Evaluation 17th Test and Evaluation 25th Space Range 2nd Space Launch 5th Space Launch 1st Range Operations NSSI
Direct reporting units	Space Development Agency Space Rapid Capabilities Office Space Warfighting Analysis Center

Locations

Space Force Bases	Buckley Los Angeles Patrick Peterson Schriever Vandenberg
Space Bases	Pituffik (Greenland)
Space Force Stations	Cape Canaveral Cape Cod Cavalier Cheyenne Mountain Clear Kaena Point New Boston

Personnel
and trainingHistory and
traditions

Former wings and deltas	21st Space Wing 50th Space Wing 460th Space Wing Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional)