PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. –
U.S. Army Gen. James Dickinson, U.S. Space Command commander, and USSPACECOM’s Senior Enlisted Leader Master Gunnery Sgt. Scott Stalker visited Canada Jan. 24 to 26, 2023 to discuss the United States’ long-standing alliance with Canada, and to reaffirm the importance of a strong alliance to space to deter aggression.
During the trip, Dickinson met with Gen. Wayne Eyre, the Canadian Chief of Defence, Lt. Gen. Eric Kenny, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, and Brig. Gen. G. Michael Adamson, Commander of 3 Canadian Space Division. He also visited Canada’s Space Operations Centre, headquartered in Ottawa, Ont., as well as members of the U.S. Embassy.
“A global network of Allies and partners remains one of our nation’s greatest sources of strength and protection,” said Dickinson. “U.S. Space Command’s partnership with Canada reinforces the mutual assurance to safeguard our shared interests in all domains.”
The U.S. and Canadian partnership has evolved since an initial space situational awareness data-sharing agreement in 2013, but remains rooted in the common goal to preserve the safety and security of the space domain. Canada and the U.S. are members of the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) Initiative. CSpO brings Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S. together to advocate for the responsible use of space, recognize the challenges to space sustainability, and identify increasingly aggressive counterspace programs of other nation states.
Additionally, the U.S. and Canada have worked to integrate space operation commands. Canada has six exchange officers serving in USSPACECOM’s Combined Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. CSpOC depends upon exchange officers to synchronize operations with U.S., U.K., Australian, and Canadian space operations centers globally.
USSPACECOM utilizes security cooperation efforts to prioritize coordination with a growing network of allies and partners that are committed to shared interests in space vital to everyday life for billions around the world.