VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. –
A U.S. Space Force officer has been awarded France’s Defense Medal-Bronze Echelon for his leadership in orchestrating the first-ever bilateral rendezvous and proximity operation (RPO) between American and French satellites-a landmark mission that has laid the foundation for future allied space defense operations.
Maj. Phillip Poundstone, deputy chief of future operations at U.S. Space Forces–Space (S4S), received the medal on May 23, 2025, during a formal ceremony held at Vandenberg Space Force Base-home to S4S headquarters. The medal was presented by Col. Yann, French liaison officer to U.S. Space Command, and recognized Poundstone’s “outstanding support in 2024” during a “multi-faceted, highly complex, and high-visibility operation” that has gained attention across the global space defense community.
“We weren’t just maneuvering satellites-we were shaping the future of coalition space operations,” Poundstone said, reflecting on the operation’s long-term impact.
The groundbreaking nature of the mission was first publicly acknowledged by Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, during his keynote address at the April 2025 Space Symposium. Whiting highlighted the mission as an example of what operationalized partnerships between allies can look like in practice.
“The U.S. and France recently conducted our first-ever bilateral RPO to demonstrate combined capabilities in space in the vicinity of a strategic competitor’s spacecraft,” Whiting said.
The mission’s execution by S4S was particularly fitting. Formed as a Component Field Command of the U.S. Space Force on Dec. 6, 2023, S4S is the designated USSF Service component to U.S. Space Command, charged with conducting joint space operations on behalf of the combatant command. S4S exercises operational and tactical control over assigned and attached forces tasked with protecting, defending, and delivering global space effects, making it the service’s front line in conducting space superiority missions with partners and allies.
That first RPO between the U.S. and France was conducted concurrently with France officially joining the Multinational Force-Operation Olympic Defender (MNF-OOD). Even though there was no link between these two events, the success of the mission paved the way for France’s integration into MNF-OOD and positioned France as a credible and relevant ally in space.
Behind the scenes, the complexity of the mission required unprecedented coordination. Poundstone helped manage planning and execution efforts that involved more than 40 offices spanning both nations.
According to Col. Yann, “Major Poundstone was critical in keeping the operational planning on track and coordinated.”
That coordination extended beyond organizational boundaries. The operation pushed technological and cultural boundaries alike, employing a command and control (C2) network architecture that had never been utilized at this scale for space operations.
With multiple operations centers from both countries working in concert, the mission required seamless communication, synchronized decision-making, and the ability to navigate different military norms, time zones, and languages-all while maintaining operational security near a competitor spacecraft.
Poundstone described it as a real-time test of innovation, trust, and teamwork. “Working through cultural, operational, and technical differences, all while conducting real-time operations, presented challenges that pushed all of us to innovate on the fly,” he said. “But that’s exactly the kind of multilateral capability our allies need to see as we face an increasingly contested space environment.”
The success of the operation was supported in part by the presence of foreign liaison and exchange officers at S4S. These embedded officers, representing key U.S. allies, are integrated into daily planning cycles, where they provide operational insight, cultural fluency, and vital cross-national coordination. Their contributions strengthen real-time interoperability and reflect the Space Force’s growing emphasis on coalition readiness.
As Poundstone noted, “The relationships we’ve built with our foreign liaison and exchange officers make operations like this one possible. Their presence transforms cooperation from a concept to an operational reality.”
The operation also served as a proving ground for advanced C2 technologies that now feed into U.S. Space Command’s “Year of Command and Control” modernization effort. These lessons are influencing future plans to develop more agile kill chain capabilities by 2027-further evidence that the mission’s legacy continues to shape broader space policy and force design.
As allied space operations become more vital to national defense, this mission has emerged as a blueprint for how future U.S.-led coalition missions may unfold. Leaders from U.S. Space Command, S4S, and the National Space Defense Center have since emphasized that the successful execution of this RPO established key precedents for how future bilateral and multilateral operations will be structured under MNF-OOD.
The bilateral RPO also serves as a real-world example of the U.S. Space Force International Partnership Strategy, released on July 8, 2025, which outlines a vision for deepening collaboration with allies and partners to ensure a secure, stable, and sustainable space domain. The strategy emphasizes that no single nation can manage the vastness and complexity of space alone and calls for integration across force design, development, and employment.
“Spacepower is the ultimate team sport,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman. “If the service is to secure our nation’s interests in, from, and to space, then it absolutely must cultivate partnerships with partners upon whom it can depend.”
France has emerged as a unique and vital space partner. It remains the only U.S. ally to openly acknowledge development of on-orbit counterspace capabilities, including patrol satellites that will execute a complete engagement chain to counter space interference attempts.
The medal awarded to Poundstone reflects the strategic significance of the operation. Officially decreed by the French Minister of Defense on March 29, 2025, the Defense Medal-Bronze Echelon, with the “Air and Space Force” clasp, honors those who have rendered particularly important service to the French defense mission.
“This recognition comes at a time when space operations are evolving rapidly, and partnerships like the one between the U.S. and France are becoming critical to strategic deterrence,” said Col. Mark Bigley, U.S. Space Command chief, current operations.“It also coincides with General Whiting’s declaration at the Space Symposium that, “it’s time that we can clearly say we need space fires, and we need weapon systems,” signaling a shift in U.S. posture toward acknowledging the full spectrum of space-based defense capabilities.”
In an era of accelerating space militarization, Poundstone’s leadership reflects the kind of operational, technical, and diplomatic expertise needed to ensure mission success and forge stronger alliances.
“Major Poundstone’s role in executing this bilateral operation reinforces the central theme of the U.S. Space Force’s newest strategic vision: by harnessing the strengths of trusted allies and operating as a united front, the future of coalition spacepower is not only achievable-it’s already in motion,” said Lt. Col. Chad Briggs, S4S acting director of plans and programs.