PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. –
U.S. Space Command hosted representatives from the seven nations that participate in the Combined Space Operation (CSpO) initiative to conduct a multinational planning conference here Feb. 6-10, 2023.
Attendees from the United States, alongside the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and France, met to explore areas of opportunity to sustain freedom of action in space, optimize resources, and enhance mission assurance and resilience through a multinational force. Discussion topics included increasing intelligence and information sharing, solidifying a standardized multinational command and control structure, and expanding mission sets.
“The conference proved to be an excellent forum for likeminded CSpO members to discuss deepening our cooperation to realize multilateral combined space operations,” said British Army Brigadier Paul Tedman, deputy director of U.S. Space Command’s strategy, plans, and policy directorate. “All of the CSpO nations represent unique experiences and operational expertise, and we can apply those diverse perspectives from all domains to space to ensure we operate effectively and efficiently as a multinational force.
As part of the discussion, USSPACECOM representatives briefed the status of Operation Olympic Defender to highlight how current participating nations plan and execute combined space operations.
OOD is a key multinational effort intended to optimize space operations, improve mission assurance, enhance resilience and synchronize the efforts among current members: the U.S., the U.K., Canada and Australia. The purpose of OOD is to strengthen Allies’ abilities to deter hostile acts in space, strengthen deterrence against hostile actors, and reduce the spread of debris orbiting the earth.
USSPACECOM, working with Allies and Partners, plans, executes, and integrates military spacepower into multi-domain global operations in order to deter aggression, defend national interests, and when necessary, defeat threats.