The Cobra Dane radar at Shemya, Alaska, was transferred from the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to the Air Force.

The upgraded radar became available for ballistic missile defense operations in 2004, and is the first missile defense capability MDA has transferred to the Air Force.

For decades, the radar supported intelligence data collection on Russian strategic missile system tests for purposes of treaty verification and tracking of Earth orbiting satellites. The radar continues to perform these missions in addition to its integration into the U.S. missile defense system. That radar provides missile target tracking, object acquisition and classification and transmits target data to the missile defense command and control network.

In 2005, Cobra Dane participated in a special missile flight test involving a threat-representative missile dropped from an Air Force transport aircraft, and took part in numerous ground tests in which missile flight data is injected into the radar data processor to stimulate the software.

The radar also supports missile defense system integration laboratory tests in Huntsville, Ala., using replicated Cobra Dane site data processing and missile defense communications hardware.

The Air Force will maintain the radar, including the hardware that supports the missile defense mission, and will operate it to support intelligence, space surveillance, and missile defense.