COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –
Members of U.S. Space Command gathered with representatives from partner nations, industry, government and academia to address the latest challenges and opportunities for integration as part of the National Defense Industrial Association’s Space Warfighting Forum here, August 15-16, 2024.
Gen. Stephen Whiting, USSPACECOM commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Jacob Simmons, USSPACECOM command senior enlisted leader, were among the headliners for the two-day forum, themed, Space Power: Extending the Advantage.
“Space and threats to our space assets and terrestrial enabling infrastructure are evolving at a pace which demands that we continually reassess how we defend our nation and our way of life,” Whiting said.
Simmons built upon Whiting’s comments, emphasizing the need for a “proactive protection posture” to maintain readiness, ensure technological superiority, and discourage others from escalating tensions.
Despite these concerns, the leaders emphasized the advantages the United States currently has over competitors. First and foremost, the relationships with like-minded and responsible space-faring nations.
“There is an undeniable and undefeatable strength in numbers,” Simmons said. “Coming together in teams, partnerships, coalitions and alliances, not only creates and promotes shared understanding and mutual respect in peace time, but also an undivided unity of effort, whenever dared.”
An everyday example of this integration occurs through USSPACECOM’s Operation OLYMPIC DEFENDER, a multinational effort to optimize space operations, improve mission assurance, and enhance resilience. Leadership from all partner nations, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, also participated in the two-day forum.
Additionally, Whiting and Simmons both emphasized the advantage of the joint nature of USSPACECOM and the growing space competency within the Joint Force.
“We benefit from, and are dependent upon, the integration of capabilities from every service as represented by our five component commands,” Whiting said.
This was further demonstrated during the USSPACECOM component panel, whose participants echoed the incredible progress across each of their services to mature both capability and force development.
Finally, Whiting emphasized the advantage brought about by the commercial aerospace industry, lauding Commercial Mission Partners as a force multiplier.
“Your capabilities enhance our effectiveness, expand our capability, and increase our understanding of the space operational environment,” he said.
To further refine these relationships, the command is currently updating its 2022 Commercial Integration Strategy, in light of the recently approved Department of Defense and U.S. Space Force strategies.
Given these advantages, Whiting emphasized “that all of us, military, government, Allied, and commercial” have a role in America’s success in space, and described the elements of victory that are essential should the U.S. need to transition from competition to conflict.
First, Whiting described the need to “operate through a first strike” to continue to provide the functions necessary for mission success.
“Our ability to quickly anticipate, defend against, recover from and respond to a wide range of scenarios, conditions and threats will be possible because of the overall resilience and defensive capabilities of our integrated space enterprise,” he said.
Second, the ability to “leverage second mover legitimacy,” by building a skilled team across the integrated space enterprise, with the understanding needed to counter threats during conflict.
“This legitimacy rests on a commitment to continued leadership through responsible behavior in space and capitalizes on lessons learned in ongoing crises,” Whiting said. “This approach provides greater flexibility to national leadership and strengthens support from traditional Allies and Partners while creating emerging opportunities for cooperation with non-traditional partners.”
The third element involves the ability to “integrate and synchronize Joint, interagency, Allied, and commercial effects.”
“We achieve synchronization with the Joint Force through the integration of our plans and battle management capabilities; with our Allies and Partners through Operation OLYMPIC DEFENDER; and with our Interagency partners in protect and defend operations through the operations at the National Space Defense Center,” he said.
Further, Whiting described the ability to “deploy, regenerate, and reconstitute space forces” across all levels of conflict rapidly at scale as fundamental to enabling maneuver and sustaining the fight.
“Sustained space operations require the right mix of responsive launch, sustained maneuver, and in-domain logistics to ensure space capabilities and effects can be continuous and decisive throughout the duration of the conflict,” he said. “Our ability to sustain combat capability in space across a wide range of scenarios, conditions, and threats is essential to our resilience and lethality, and accomplished by the mobility and endurance of our integrated space enterprise.”
Finally, Whiting added the ability to “gain and maintain space superiority is foundational to Joint Force success,” and ensuring “space superiority can be achieved at a time and place of our choosing to close friendly kill chains and disrupt adversary kill webs.”
by the space and terrestrial warfighting expertise of the national security space enterprise, the elements will evolve, said Whiting and further emphasized that “conflict is not inevitable.”
“We strive to preserve the domain for the peaceful use of all humanity,” he said, “but when called upon, the integrated space power presented through our Joint, Interagency, Combined and commercial partners will deliver decisive advantage in any conflict.”