Ballistic Missile Early Warning System
Ballistic Missile Early Warning Systems are space-based and ground-based sensor networks designed to detect and track ballistic missile launches globally, providing early warning to military commanders and national leadership. The primary US space-based early warning system is the Defense Support Program (DSP), which uses infrared sensors on geosynchronous satellites to detect the heat signature of missile launches within seconds of liftoff.
Defense Support Program
The DSP constellation has served as the United States' primary ballistic missile early warning satellite system since the first satellite (DSP-1) was launched in 1970. Operating from geosynchronous orbit approximately 22,000 miles above Earth, DSP satellites provide continuous global coverage for detecting:
- Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches
- Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launches
- Intermediate and short-range missile launches
- Nuclear detonations
- Space launches
Dual Function: Missile Detection and Fast Walker Tracking
While the primary mission of ballistic missile early warning satellites is missile detection, these systems have also been detecting and cataloging Fast Walkers — anomalous objects entering or leaving Earth's atmosphere — since at least 1972.
Richard P. Oszx's 1989 paper explicitly states that Fast Walker data "has been recorded since 1972 by certain ballistic missile early warning Satellite Systems located at various geostationary locations." Similarly, Bradley R. Townson's 2008 study referenced "ballistic missile warning satellites" in the context of Fast Walker detections.
This dual function suggests the infrared sensors designed for missile detection are sensitive enough to track much smaller and faster-moving objects that don't follow ballistic trajectories.
Technical Explanation for Fast Walker Detection
Ballistic missile early warning systems detect:
- Heat signatures: The intense infrared emissions from rocket plumes
- Reflected light: Sunlight reflecting off objects passing through the sensor's field of view
- Rapid movement: Objects moving at velocities inconsistent with atmospheric phenomena
The same sensor suite that tracks missile launches can detect Fast Walkers because both produce detectable thermal or optical signatures and move at extreme velocities. However, Fast Walkers often exhibit course corrections — maneuvers impossible for ballistic objects — distinguishing them from missiles or space debris.
Data Integration with NORAD
Data from ballistic missile early warning satellites flows directly to NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) for real-time analysis and threat assessment. This means NORAD receives both missile warning data and Fast Walker detection data through the same feed, explaining why J. Allen Hynek stated in 1967 that "all continental US military UFO cases in Project Blue Book files are designated as NORAD cases."
Classification of Fast Walker Data
While the existence and general capabilities of ballistic missile early warning systems are publicly acknowledged, the specific detection records — particularly Fast Walker detections — remain highly classified. John Greenewald's FOIA requests were repeatedly denied under Executive Order 13526, indicating Fast Walker data is treated as among the most sensitive information collected by these systems.
Significance
The use of ballistic missile early warning infrastructure for Fast Walker tracking demonstrates that UAP detection is embedded within the most critical national security systems. This integration ensures continuous monitoring and data collection while maintaining classification through TS/SCI compartmentation.
The fact that systems designed to detect missile threats also routinely detect objects exhibiting controlled flight characteristics from deep space raises fundamental questions about the nature and origin of Fast Walkers — questions that remain unanswered due to classification.