A skyrocketing launch rate among other increasingly busy missions means Vandenberg Space Force Base is prepping for a big boost in its workforce, Col. James “Jim” Horne told a North County audience Thursday.

“We see ourselves as more than just a launch base,” said Horne, commander of Space Launch Complex-30, the primary unit at Vandenberg.

While talking about a boost in launches, Horne shared about other lesser-known missions he expects to add to the increasing activity at Vandenberg. 

“This is becoming a thriving hub of defense, commerce and test operations along with supporting our mission partners,” he added.

Horne spoke during the State of Vandenberg presentation at the Pacific Coast Club. Approximately 200 people attended the annual event organized by the Santa Maria Valley and Lompoc Valley chambers of commerce.

Often overlooked, Vandenberg personnel monitor aeronautical operations off the coast. 

As recently as last Friday, Horne said Vandenberg played a role in the Stratolaunch mission involving a hypersonic vehicle conducting tests over the Pacific Ocean before Talon-A landed at Vandenberg’s runway.

Conducted over the ocean, the activity doesn’t typically attract the attention of local residents. However, the Stratolaunch aircraft previously has been spotted above Central Coast skies while traveling from Mojave Air and Space Port to the area off Vandenberg.

Stratolaunch missions could occur as frequently as a couple of times a month, according to Horne.

Central Coast residents also may start seeing Air Force fighter jets at Vandenberg, Horne said. 

“You may have heard some F-15s buzzing around yesterday — you’re going to see more of that,” Horne said, adding that Vandenberg has been designated as an alert base for North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command. 

The fighter plane crews’ visit helped get them familiar with the flight pattern, the Vandenberg airfield and more as they conduct their new homeland defense mission. 

“We expect them a few times a year to practice those tactics. You’re likely to see fighter aircraft transiting from our area from time to time to and from various other bases,” Horne said 

Vandenberg saw 71 launches last year, more than the base had seen since the 1970s but still far from the West Coast’s all-time record of 123 in the 1960s.

Horne said he expects Vandenberg will break its launch record soon.

“I think in the next five years we may triple our launch rate,” Horne added.

The increase in activity will bring more jobs to the base that currently sees 10,000 people daily to support the assorted missions. 

“We think in the next five to 10 years that’s going to double to 20,000 or more as our missions continue to grow,” Horne said. 

Vandenberg has a $5.5 billion economic impact and executes $2.7 billion in contracts, helping drive home the importance of the installation to its neighboring communities. 

At 184 square miles and with 46 miles of coastline, Vandenberg is the second-largest installation in the Department of Air Force but by far the largest for the Space Force. 

Vandenberg continues to invest heavily in the future as some infrastructure dates back to the first Space Race in the 1960s, Horne said. That includes roads, bridges, water, electrical grid and more.

“All of those things are in desperate need of overhaul, and we’re feverishly working through a lot of different projects to bring all those things to modern standards as we get ready for what’s coming,” Horne said. “You’re witnessing, and you’re supporting the new Space Race. That’s where we are in human history.”

In other missions often overlooked, Vandenberg trains enlisted Space Force members, known as Guardians. 

Col. Krista St. Romain, commander of Delta 1, noted that the unit graduated 415 space-enlisted warfighters in 2025, spanning from 17 to 41 years old. The program averages 160 Guardian students at its Vandenberg campus per day. 

Near the start of the Thursday’s event, Brad Wilkie, a now retired utilities director for the City of Lompoc, received the Vandenberg Community Service Award from Horne. Wilkie served as an honorary commander for Space Launch Delta 5.

Horne said the award recognized Wilkie’s commitment, participation and ongoing crucial support to the members of the unit.