FY2024 TESTIMONY



 
GEN Dickinson Testimony
Documents & Resources

DOCUMENTS & RESOURCES

Biography: Army Gen. James H. Dickinson
TRANSCRIPT: House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Holds Hearing on Strategic Forces Posture - Mar. 8, 2023
TRANSCRIPT: Senate Armed Services Committee Testimony on United States Strategic Command and United States Space Command - Mar. 9, 2023
HASC Opening Remarks by Gen. James Dickinson Mar. 8, 2023
SASC Opening Remarks by Gen. James Dickinson Mar. 9, 2023

EXCERPTS FROM HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE TESTIMONY Mar. 8-9, 2023

U.S. Space Command commander Gen. James Dickinson on readiness: “Within two years we achieved initial operational capability … we are on a very solid path to achieve full operational capability very soon … when I look at what we've done over the last three and a half years, in terms of identifying requirements to the to the Department, it has gone very well. We have deliberately and thoughtfully provided requirements to the Department and the Department is in fact, giving us those resources … I look very hard at space domain awareness… The second part of that is leveraging commercial companies that want to participate with capabilities that they build themselves and provide that data to us. So through integration of non-traditional sensors as well as commercial sensors we are getting better at space domain awareness. But as the congestion in space continues to grow, we will need better capabilities.”
 
U.S. Space Command commander Gen. James Dickinson on the threat posed by China in space: “If you just look at the sheer number of launches, space launches that they do in a year. That is a statistic that most people don't know. So I'll give you a statistic there. So in 2022, last year, there were 186 space launches of those 64 were Chinese. The US was 87. They were at 64. So just putting things on orbit, whatever they may be, they have they have rounded out their equivalent of our GPS satellite network. So they have accurate position navigation and timing capabilities worldwide. If you look at the number, just the sheer number of satellites that are in orbit and what their what their intent, what their intended use is everything from ISR satellites, to communication satellites to PNT satellites, so they are moving in a direction where they want to be appear to US in terms of capabilities in space. But, we are still the best in space. What we need is to make sure the gap does not close and that we continue to keep the gap or increase it.”
 
U.S. Space Command commander Gen. James Dickinson on an over-classification: “So over classification is a challenge within the within the Department right now the one that we are aggressively working in looking at refining, if you will, to make sure that we can start bringing systems and capabilities to a lower classification level so that we can optimize their employment as well as training of the operators and the forces that they support. So, in other words, the classification we look across those and are revisiting those, those documents those capabilities to see whether or not we can pull them down to a lower classification level. This also allows us to do more integration, better integration with our allies and partners.”
 
U.S. Space Command commander Gen. James Dickinson on mega-constellations: “As we go to the future, the Department is looking very closely at doing mega constellations, if you will, similar to what we've seen with some of the commercial companies here in the United States where we have 1000s of satellites on orbit, the resiliency there is very good in terms of 1000s of satellites, not knowing which satellite does necessarily what function or the ability of that network to self-heal itself. If you lose two or three or four of them. This this type of resiliency actually causes some of our adversaries to pause because it's very difficult to defeat something like that or even degrade it. So that's where we're going in the future. And that's exactly what we need to be doing.”

 

Latest from USSPACECOM
U.S. Army Capt. Matthew Connell, left, U.S. Navy Lt. Cdr. Alex Turco, center, and U.S. Navy Lt. Cdr. Matthew Dring, members of the National Space Defense Center Operations Integrations Team, complete a quarterly operational readiness demonstration at the NSDC at Schriever Space Force Base, Colo., April 16-18, 2025. By conducting advanced training aimed at increasing critical information integration across the Joint Force, the NSDC and Space Delta 15 executed Space Domain Awareness (SDA) taskings to multiple sensors simultaneously. Coordinating with U.S. Navy assets at sea, this demonstration strengthened partnerships with U.S. Space Command, U.S. Space Forces -Space, Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Navy and other stakeholders and better shared information with mission partners. (U.S. Space Force photo by Tiana Williams)
NSDC, partners conduct quarterly operational readiness demonstration
By Ms. Bridget Bonnette | April 16, 2025
Members of the National Space Defense Center Operations Integrations Team complete a quarterly operational readiness demonstration at the NSDC at Schriever Space Force Base, Colo., April 16-18, 2025.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John F. Bentivegna, left, and Chief Master Sgt. Jacob Simmons, U.S. Space Command command senior enlisted leader, speak during a fireside chat during the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 10, 2025. They began the panel speaking to the nuances between the USSF and USSPACECOM, and how they have distinct roles and responsibilities. (U.S. Space Command courtesy photo)
Space Force, USSPACECOM leaders discuss their distinct roles in the joint force
By | April 16, 2025
Senior leaders speak on the distinct roles and responsibilities of the Space Force and USSPACECOM in a fireside chat at Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Col. Felix G. Torres, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence commandant, right, discussed how the Army and its joint and allied partners structure and develop the careers of their respective officers, enlisted personnel and civilians with space-related missions during a panel at the 40th Space Symposium at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 10, 2025. The panel, titled “Developing a Space Cadre” and moderated by James Moschgat, director of the National Security Space Institute at Peterson Space Force Base, also included Brig. Gen. Matthew S. Cantore, deputy commander of U.S. Space Force Space Training and Readiness Command; Capt. William Tirrell, Office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare (OPNAV N2N6) deputy director; Gp. Capt. Vaughn Arnall, Royal Air Force. (U.S. Army photo by Brooke Nevins)
SMDC talks space professional development at 40th Space Symposium
By Brooke Nevins | April 14, 2025
Col. Felix G. Torres, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence commandant, discussed how the Army and its joint and allied partners structure and develop the careers of their respective officers, enlisted personnel and civilians with space-related missions during a panel at the 40th Space Symposium at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 10.

Gen. Stephen Whiting, USSPACECOM and Multinational Force-Operation Olympic Defender commander, and Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb, Chief of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, signed an agreement assigning a New Zealand liaison officer to USSPACECOM, April 11, 2025, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The agreement integrates New Zealand armed forces expertise and insights to USSPACECOM and facilitates communication among New Zealand and U.S. personnel. The first liaison officer arrived in Colorado Springs earlier this year.
New Zealand joins space multinational force – OPERATION OLYMPIC DEFENDER
By U.S. Space Command | April 14, 2025
U.S. Space Command recognized New Zealand’s membership in Multi-National Force-Operation OLYMPIC DEFENDER (MNF-OOD) Apr. 11, 2025.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. (Ret.) David Buck, left, speaks with U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, right, U.S. Space Forces – Space commander and Combined Joint Force Space Component Commander, during a one-on-one discussion at the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 9, 2025. Schiess highlighted the importance of commercial partnerships in space operations.
Lt. Gen. Schiess discusses critical role of CIC, JCO commercial capabilities at 40th Space Symposium
By Ms. Bridget Bonnette | April 14, 2025
During the Space Foundation’s 40th Space Symposium, U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, U.S. Space Forces – Space commander and Combined Joint Force Space Component Commander, participated in a one-on-one discussion with U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. (Ret.) David Buck, April 9, 2025, and highlighted the importance of commercial partnerships in space operations.