Vandenberg Air Force Base (AFB) in California

Mission Critical Solutions (MCS) of Tampa, Florida, is self-performing the renovation of the communications infrastructure for the Building 7000 Activation project at Vandenberg Air Force Base (AFB) in California. An

Air Force headquarters consolidation project that commenced in 2014 but took a different direction in 2017 when Air Force Gen. John Hyten, U.S. Strategic Command commander, directed the transition of the USAF Joint Space Operations Center to a Combined Space Operations Center. On July 18, 2018 a ceremony was held to complete this transition, which is designed to improve coordination between the U.S., its allies, and commercial and civil partners for defensive space efforts. It will enhance individual and collective space capabilities in order to expand the overall multi-domain military effectiveness.

Building 7000 will be the future HQ facility for The Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC), reporting to the Joint Force Space Component Commander (JFSCC) and executing the operational command and control of space forces to achieve theater and global objectives. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week; continuously coordinating, planning, integrating, synchronizing and executing space operations; providing tailored space effects on demand to support combatant commanders and accomplishing national security objectives. The CSpOC, National Space Defense Center (NSDC), Joint Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Planning Center (JOPC), Missile Warning Center (MWC), Joint Navigation Warfare Center (JNWC) and Satellite Communications (SATCOM) Integrated Operations Environment (SIOE) are a synergistic and multi-layered network of defense operations centers supporting JFSCC operations. On behalf of United States Strategic 

Command (USSTRATCOM), and under the direction of the JFSCC, the CSpOC uses this multi-layered network to coordinate, command and control space effects for geographic theater commanders across the globe — ensuring the right effect or capability is available to theater components at the right place and right time to achieve the theater mission. The CSpOC is also responsible for managing the space and missile defense sensor network, setting prioritization for monitoring more than 23,000 objects in Earth orbit and retasking sensors in real time during contingencies, while ensuring adequate missile warning for national defense.

The Building 7000 Activation project is valued at more than $12.5M to MCS and consists of the phased implementation of the facility’s structured cabling, secure networking and telecommunications, and audio-visual equipment and systems. MCS has recently attained an exciting milestone in Building 7000 (B7000) Activation project at Vandenberg AFB with our substantial completion of the facility cabling effort. Moving forward, MCS is also continuing with the installation of the secure networking and telecommunications, and audio-visual equipment and systems.

Building 7000 at Vandenberg AFB, CA, is a 4-floor, 152,000 square foot facility, with 78,000 SF of SCIF

space. MCS is installing 900 cable drops to the top 3 floors; 572 of the 900 drops are dedicated to equipment in the SCIFs. We are also installing the cabling and conduit from the server vault to the communications closets on each floor. In all, MCS is installing more than 500,000 feet of copper and fiber cabling, combined. MCS is also installing more than $3M worth of networking equipment, consisting primarily of more than 110 servers in the basement server vault, and associated routers and power supply positioned throughout the facility.
Additionally, MCS is also installing the facility’s audio-visual systems. We are installing audio-visual meeting, briefing and presentation spaces in 16 rooms throughout the facility. When finished, our audio-visual solution will provide the rapid dissemination of information to officers and staffs to maximize knowledge transfer and facilitate command decisions, and provide interoperability and compatibility with other services, component commanders, and commands.

MCS’s work enables the CSpOC to rapidly detect, warn, characterize, attribute, and defend against disturbances to space systems. The center will help to increase the resilience of the combined space enterprise and support the delivery of space-based capabilities for allies, partners and other responsible space-faring nations. These space capabilities allow decision makers to see the battlespace with clarity, strike with precision, navigate with accuracy, communicate with certainty, and operate with assurance over global distances.