Mission
Monitors the Sun for flare and sunspot activity for operational impacts as the only dedicated, reliable, and operational source of solar optical imagery to the Department of War.
Key Functions
As part of the Solar Electro-Optical Network (SEON), the Solar Observing Optical Network (SOON) system provides the capability to observe, analyze, and report visible solar phenomena such as solar flares, sunspots, magnetic fields, and disk and limb activity.
Solar flares can trigger high velocity Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) that can interact with the Earth's magnetosphere to create geomagnetic storms. Solar analysts forecast drivers of major geomagnetic storms that can impact satellites, communication systems, power grids, and other DoW weapon systems.
Deployed Locations
The SOON telescopes are operated and maintained by 2d Weather Squadron personnel at three sites around the globe:
- Detachment 1, Learmonth, Australia
- Detachment 4, Holloman AFB, New Mexico
- Contract Site, San Vito, Italy
(Current as of January 2026)