Intel: Space Force tracked Iranian missile strikes

Members of the Space Force helped track and detect the Iranian ballistic missiles that struck an Iraqi air base last month, the fledgling military service’s vice commander said today.

Why it matters: The Pentagon could use the Space Force’s early display of capabilities as a pitch to Middle East allies looking to join forces in future galactic fights. “We’re getting a lot of positive feedback,” Shawn Barnes, the Pentagon’s acting assistant secretary for space acquisition, said in response to a question from Al-Monitor, adding that the United States had hosted a summit for allies last week.