The US military has disclosed new details about its use of electronic warfare systems to disrupt satellite communications during operations in Venezuela and Iran. According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the US Space Force deployed ground-based equipment capable of jamming satellites and identifying threats to American spacecraft.

During the January 2026 operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a unit led by Technical Sergeant Joshua Lomax used satellite-jamming equipment to establish a protective zone around US forces involved in the mission.

Just hours later, the unit was ordered to relocate to the Middle East to support preparations for a military operation against Iran. Personnel were given 72 hours to pack, inspect and transport their equipment before departure, followed by another 96 hours to deploy the systems and begin operations after arrival.

Colonel Angelo Fernandez, commander of Mission Delta 3, confirmed that US forces had employed these capabilities during three major military operations: Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities; Absolute Resolve, the January 2026 mission to capture Maduro; and Epic Fury, the US military campaign against Iran launched in February 2026.

One of the systems featured in the WSJ report was Meadowlands, a ground-based electronic warfare platform designed to interfere with satellite communications. It transmits radio signals toward a satellite, disrupting its connection with ground stations.

Unlike weapons intended to physically destroy spacecraft, Meadowlands uses electronic interference. Affected satellites may resume normal operations once the jamming stops.

Another system, Bounty Hunter, monitors the electromagnetic spectrum to locate sources of interference that could threaten US satellites. The coordinates it identifies can be passed to military commanders and potentially used to direct strikes against those threats.

Lieutenant General Gregory Gagnon, commander of Combat Forces Command, described electromagnetic warfare as an invisible dimension of military operations. He explained that controlling the spectrum allows US forces to maintain communications between satellites, ships and aircraft while disrupting an adversary’s ability to do the same.

The disclosures follow earlier remarks by US President Donald Trump about a secret weapon he called the Discombobulator. Trump claimed it had been used during the operation to capture Maduro and had prevented Venezuelan forces from launching missiles. He did not disclose the weapon’s technical specifications.

In September, US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink also confirmed that Washington possessed orbital systems designed to monitor and control the space environment and protect American forces, without providing details about their capabilities.