The key facts

  • According to the DIA report, Iran jammed GPS signals with ground-based means during Operation Epic Fury
  • Iran has about a dozen operational satellites versus more than a thousand for the US
  • Some American experts question claims of US 'space superiority'

Key findings of the DIA report

Iran is 'emerging' as a space power capable of complicating US military operations in the Middle East — this is the conclusion reached by the Defense Intelligence Agency of the US Department of Defense (DIA) in a report reported by Anadolu. It notes that American strikes on key Iranian facilities related to the space program did not eliminate this capability.

GPS jamming and program development

According to the report, during Operation Epic Fury Iran took offensive actions against US space capabilities, using ground-based jamming systems capable of disrupting the GPS satellite signal. The DIA also reports that Tehran is expanding its military and civilian space programs to strengthen military capability, economic development, and national prestige, while simultaneously working to make its guidance and navigation systems more resilient to electronic attacks.

The balance of power and the dispute over 'superiority'

According to space data from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Iran has about a dozen operational satellites, while the United States operates more than a thousand times as many. Tehran, reportedly, also receives satellite support from China and Russia to improve its intelligence and targeting capabilities. Despite US claims of achieving 'space superiority' over Iran, some American experts doubt this assessment: 'If Iran can degrade US space capabilities, we do not have superiority,' aerospace expert Todd Harrison of AEI told Axios. Brigadier General Todd Benson, commander of Space Forces for Central Command, noted at a Mitchell Institute webinar last month that 'space today is accessible and inexpensive.'