12th Space Warning Squadron
| 12th Space Warning Squadron | |
|---|---|
12th Space Warning Squadron emblem
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| Active | 1967-Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Space |
| Part of | AFSPC/14 AF/21st Space Wing |
| Garrison/HQ | Thule AB, Greenland |
| Motto(s) | TOP OF THE WORLD |
| Decorations |
 AFOUA
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The 12th Space Warning Squadron (12 SWS) is a United States Air Force ground based radar used for missile warning, missile defense and space situation awareness, stationed at Thule Air Base, Greenland.
The primary mission of the 12th SWS is to provide critical, real-time missile warning, defense and space surveillance to the President of the United States, Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, NORAD, and unified commands by operating a phased-array radar—which continuously provides warning of Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) and Intercontinental ballistic missile attacks against North America—and detect, track, and identify earth-orbiting objects in support of USSTRATCOM’s space control mission, thus "knitting a blanket of freedom".
The 12th Space Warning Squadron is a unit of the 21st Operations Group, which is part of the 21st Space Wing under Air Force Space Command.
To accomplish its mission, the squadron operates the solid-state phased-array radar located at the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS), Site I. The BMEWS site is located approximately 11 miles northwest of Thule AB 76°34′08″N 68°19′05″W / 76.569°N 68.318°W. It provides early warning detection of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches from the Russian land mass and submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launches from the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans against North America. Additionally, BMEWS keeps track of polar orbiting satellites. The operational crews report through the Missile Warning Center to the NORAD/USNORTHCOM Center.
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