CLEAR SPACE FORCE STATION, Alaska -- Col. Marcus Jackson, Space Base Delta 2 commander, CMSgt. Charles Shurchay, SBD2 senior enlisted leader, and leadership visited Eielson Air Force Base and Clear Space Force Station, AK., on Nov. 8-9, 2022.
Clear SFS is home to the 13th and 213th Space Warning Squadrons that are manned by active-duty Air Force, Alaska Air National Guard, and Space Force Guardians providing 24/7 missile warning, missile defense, and space domain awareness.
“When we look at the next generation of capabilities, space domain awareness and carrying out the missile warning mission…Clear SFS and the Guardians there are the tip of the spear,” Jackson said.
During the visit to Eielson Air Force Base, Jackson met with the 354th Mission Support Group leadership and discussed the assistance Eielson AFB and SBD2 provide to Clear. The group spoke about ensuring Clear has the necessary support they need being remote and geographically separated, to keep their base modernized and ensure there is no degradation in their mission.
“I want to thank the team and everyone here that makes sure the U.S. and our allies are safe,” Shurchay said. “The deterrence this team provides for strategic missile warning ensures adversaries know that we are present and that we will always be here.”
One of the missions at Clear SFS is the Long-Range Discrimination Radar. The LRDR is the latest addition to the space mission and is an advanced multi-faced, long-range radar. Once fully operational, approximately by summer 2023, it will have the capabilities to provide data to improve ballistic defense discrimination and replace existing sensors in the Ballistic Missile Defense System. In the vast range of the space domain, the LRDR will quickly and efficiently search, track and discriminate ballistic missile threats at extensive ranges.
“The future of Clear SFS is bright,” Jackson said. “We are trying to ensure we provide the best mission enabling support to our Clear SFS teammates.”
The strategic northern location of Clear SFS is mission enabling due to the advanced vantage point over our adversaries. This location, along with numerous missile warning technologies, allows Guardians a wide field-of-view, providing them with unparalleled capabilities across the globe for years to come.