Circumventing Electromagnetic Warfare

Iran's missiles allegedly have found a way to navigate despite U.S. jamming efforts

Jul 15, 2026

We are SO back. And by ‘we’, we mean CENTCOM and by ‘back’, we mean mired in a shooting war with Iran. We’re restarting our Epic Fury coverage. In each edition we publish, we’ll include headlines from Epic Fury at the top of the news section.

One report we think is particularly notable alleges that Iran is using encrypted PNT signals from China’s BeiDou constellation to guide missiles such as the Zolfaqar short-range ballistic missile. If accurate, the integration could make those weapons more resilient to U.S. efforts to jam or spoof their satellite-navigation signals.

The immediate effect would be greater pressure on the kinetic layer of the defensive architecture. If electromagnetic warfare cannot sufficiently degrade a missile’s guidance, U.S. and allied force may have little choice but to shoot it out of the sky. That could accelerate the consumption of critical munitions such as the PAC-3 MSE and THAAD interceptor.

There is some good news though: the success rate of U.S. and allied interceptors reportedly has remained strong, somewhat offsetting the increased demands placed on missile-defense inventories.

Nevertheless, this highlights the central role that space-based and EMS capabilities are playing in modern warfare—and the direct connection between resilience in one domain and munition consumption in another.

Epic Fury - Part Deux!

Trump wanted to tax all Hormuz ships 20% of their goods’ value, but decides to replace that tax with Gulf investment deals (CNBC)
Iran threatens to halt Mideast energy exports after U.S. reimposes blockade (AP)
Trump renews threats to strike critical energy infrastructure in Iran (CNBC)
Saronic sea drones strike Iranian port in combat first for U.S. (DN)
Lawmakers demand Pentagon release findings from probe of Iran school strike (RT)
Dubai is planning a new port to bypass the Strait of Hormuz (FT)
Chinese BeiDou constellation may be giving Iran’s missiles an edge over American EW jamming efforts (TT)

News Headlines

Senate Democrats block $1T defense bill in protest over Iran war (AP)
China detains U.S. seismologist that spent two years studying North Korean nuclear tests on charges of spying (RT)
U.S. CPI falls for first time since COVID, remains above target (CNBC)

Satellites

*Reentry data current through Jul 13, 2026

Launches

Upcoming Launches

Space News

Space junk debris cloud discovered in high-traffic orbit is a ‘potential minefield’ for costliest satellites (SP)
Astronomers discover 4 superdense white dwarf stars as close as 25l.y from earth (SP)
Scientists find 4-carbon sugar in interstellar space (NYT)
JWST may have discovered cosmic ‘black hole stars’, black holes wrapped in gas causing it to glow (SD)
As Russian orbital nuke threat grows, researcher proposes a way to detect nuclear weapons in space (MIT)

U.S. Federal Space News

Space Force finalizes new acquisition structure with 9 portfolio executives (ASF)
APFIT selections include $43M for assured PNT at scale (DOD)

Commercial Space News

Space Force awards tech companies $1.75B for missile warning and tracking satellites (MT)
Pulse Space wins $40M from Space Force to work on space laser power beaming and orbital tracking systems (GW)
FCC approves Reflect Orbital‘s plan to use space mirrors to reflect more sunlight to darkened parts of Earth (TH)
Slingshot Aerospace wins $69.2M to advance AI-powered mission readiness for space defense (BW)
Voyager awarded $298M NASA Lunar-lander contract under completed Astrobotic acquisition (BW)

Foreign Space News

China successfully launches and recovers its first reusable rocket, a methalox-powered Long March 10C (WSJ)
China develops new nuclear battery using C-14 that lasts thousands of years (IE)
JAXA conducts first test flight of experimental reusable RV-X rocket (ABC)
Iran Space Agency announces new development projects including expansion of space enabling infrastructure (TT)
Iran plans ‘Martyr Soleimani’ constellation with 24 satellites (WANA)
The Philippines plans to launch its first military satellite later this decade (AVW)

Electromagnetic Warfare

Morons on social media are peddling $50 straws to ‘protect’ against electromagnetic radiation (WI)
NATO DIANA cohort focused on EMSO completes first phase of accelerator (DJ)
U.S. Army teams with Auriga Space to build electromagnetic counter-drone tech (IE)
Dassault‘s NAMIB EW payload successfully completes collaborative flight with Rafale jet (IE)
Kratos detects RF jamming originating from Tehran (LI)

Deal Flow

VC

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is seeking to raise $10B at a $130B valuation in its first external fundraise led by Coatue (AT)
TerraFirma raised a $115M round led by Kleiner Perkins for its tech-enabled construction company looking to build critical infrastructure on Earth, Mars, and the Moon (BW)
The Pentagon is investing $25M into rare earths startup ReElement Technologies (PU)
Hanwha spinoff Flexell Space raised a $20M Series A to develop next-generation space solar solutions and adding Mirae Asset Capital, Industrial Bank of Korea, NH Venture Investment, IBK Securities-Seoul ZV, Korea Investment & Securities, and Korea Credit Guarantee Fund to its cap table (SN)
Ravee Optics raised a $6M seed round led by BIG Capital to provide optical communications for orbital data centers (BW)

PE / M&A / Other

MDA Space plans to buy 70% of Collecte Localisation Satellites, a subsidiary of the French space agency, which will be funded by a $820M share sale (SN)

Exciting Opportunities

NASA is seeking research volunteers to spend a year on a simulated mission to Mars or the Moon (NASA)
NASA released a draft RFP for private space stations (SAM)
NGA is seeking global change detection of GEOINT to better update mapping, charting, and safety of navigation products (SAM)
AFRL is seeking a university-led research to develop, test, demonstrate, and mature technologies related to space cyber-cognitive warfare and is planning to host a proposers’ day (SAM)
NGA is seeking advanced modeling of gravity to improve INS-based navigation (SAM)