Tag: U.S. Space Command

Army’s Senior Space Officer Preparing Space Force for Army Forces

Article by Carrie Campbell and Lira Frye                              August 28, 2020                              (dvidshub.net)

• On August 21st, during the flag unfurling ceremony with U.S. Space Command at Schriever Air Force Base, the Army’s senior space officer, Lt. Gen. Daniel L. Karbler, highlighted the importance of a warfighting culture and preparing the U.S. Space Force to accept Army forces. “As we look down the road and we look at the potential for transfer of Army forces to the USSF, we have to make sure that it’s a conditions-based transfer and that before we do that, it’s done with meticulous analysis,” Karbler said. “My commitment to you (USSPACECOM) is that we retain that warfighting readiness with any kind of transfer decisions.”

• Transfers from the Air Force to the U.S. Space Force started in 2020. The timeframe for Army or Navy personnel transfers to the Space Force is no earlier than 2022. The Army Service Component Command for USSPACECOM will integrate ‘Army space’ into the USSPACECOM warfighting culture through trained and ready Army forces performing crucial missions around the globe and supporting other combatant commands.

• In his first official act as commander of the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Lt. Gen. James H. Dickinson said at the unfurling ceremony, “In my mind, this is a great integration opportunity for some of our very important mission areas between USSTRATCOM and USSPACECOM.” At an August 20th ceremony at Peterson Air Force Base, Dickenson said, “To be clear, our objective is to deter a conflict …extending to space, and to enable our nation to compete in space from a position of strength. However, should deterrence fail, our imperative is clear: we will win. To do so, we will require a space warfighting culture that permeates our entire command.”

• Karbler said his command will support Dickenson’s warfighting mindset. “My commitment to you is to make sure our operational brigades and the developmental work we do is at the forefront of that warfighting readiness,” said Karbler. “Winning matters. But I will tell you that in space, winning first really matters.”

 

SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – During an historic ceremony solidifying the relationship between the Army’s and the Department of Defense’s space commands Aug. 21, the Army’s senior space officer highlighted the importance of a warfighting culture and preparing the U.S. Space Force to accept Army forces.

    Lt. Gen. Daniel L. Karbler

During the flag unfurling ceremony with U.S. Space Command at Schriever Air Force Base, Lt. Gen. Daniel L.

  Lt. Gen. James H. Dickinson

Karbler, USASMDC commanding general, emphasized readiness, stressing that any transfer of forces into the U.S. Space Force is conditions based to ensure no readiness gap.

“As we look down the road and we look at the potential for transfer of Army forces to the USSF, we have to make sure that it’s a conditions-based transfer and that before we do that, it’s done with meticulous analysis,” Karbler said. “My commitment to you (USSPACECOM) is that we retain that warfighting readiness with any kind of transfer decisions.”

Transfers from the Air Force to the U.S. Space Force started in fiscal year 2020. The timeframe for Army or Navy space requirements to move to the Space Force remains no earlier than fiscal year 2022 or 2023.

The flag unfurling designated USASMDC as the Army Service Component Command for USSPACECOM. In this role, USASMDC integrates Army space into the USSPACECOM warfighting culture through trained and ready Army forces performing crucial no-fail missions around the globe while continuing support to other combatant commands.

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New Pentagon Strategy to Defend U.S. Dominance in Space

Article by Sandra Erwin                             June 17, 2020                          (spacenews.com)

• On June 17th at a Pentagon news conference, the DoD’s unveiled a ten-year Defense Space Strategy to replace an Obama-era 2011 space strategy based upon the Trump administration’s 2018 national defense strategy that calls for the U.S. military to prepare to compete with rising military powers such as China and Russia.

• China and Russia have developed capabilities to challenge U.S. access to space and “present the most immediate and serious threats to U.S. space operations.” “Both countries consider space access and denial as critical components of their national and military strategies.” Threats from North Korea and Iran are also growing, the document states.

• “DoD has to confront the new reality that adversaries have more advanced weapons designed to target U.S. military satellites and deny the United States a key military advantage,” according to the new strategy paper. “Now we have to defend U.S. and allies to secure the domain.” The DoD will work with allies and with the private sector to ensure space superiority.

• Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Steve Kitay said that the DoD has taken significant actions to stay ahead of other powers, such as the establishment of a) the U.S. Space Force as a new military service; b) the U.S. Space Command as a unified combatant command; and c) the Space Development Agency to help accelerate the acquisition of new technologies. The DoD recognizes there’s a space technology race underway and the United States has to accelerate the pace of innovation. Part of the strategy will be to “leverage commercial technological advancements and acquisition processes.”

• The DoD will focus on these key priorities: a) to protect and defend U.S. and commercial space capabilities; b) to deter and defeat adversary hostile use of space; c) to deliver advanced operational space capabilities; d) to bolster the domestic civil and commercial space industry; and e) to uphold internationally accepted standards of responsible behavior.

 

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department has released an updated space strategy that replaces the 2011 document issued by the Obama

                   Steve Kitay

administration.

The Defense Space Strategy unveiled June 17 provides broad guidance to DoD for “achieving desired conditions in space over the next 10 years,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Steve Kitay said at a Pentagon news conference.

The space strategy builds on the Trump administration’s 2018 national defense strategy that calls for the U.S. military to prepare to compete with rising military powers such as China and Russia.

DoD will work to maintain space superiority, provide space capabilities to U.S. and allied forces, and ensure stability in space, the strategy says.

“DoD has to confront the new reality that adversaries have more advanced weapons designed to target U.S. military satellites and deny the United States a key military advantage,” says the strategy. “Now we have to defend U.S. and allies to secure the domain.”

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Russia Has Many Questions About US Activities in Outer Space

Tass News Agency (Russia)                           April 17, 2020                            (tass.com)

• (On April 15th, General John “Jay” Raymond, the head of U.S. Space Command and chief of space operations for the U.S. Space Force publicly announced that Russia had conducted a direct ascent anti-satellite missile test. In a statement, Raymond declared that the Russian test provided “yet another example that the threats to U.S. and allied space systems are real, serious and growing.” Raymond added, “The United States is ready and committed to deterring aggression and defending the Nation, our allies, and U.S. interests from hostile acts in space.” (see article here))

• Commenting on recent statements by General Raymond about Russia’s test launch of an anti-satellite missile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova (pictured above) said on Friday, “We also have a lot of questions (about the U.S. activities in outer space). We asked them quite a long time ago and want to have an answer.” Apparently, Moscow has been asking the U.S. for a meaningful Russian-U.S. dialogue on a wide spectrum of issues of space activities. Senior Russian and US diplomats agreed on January 16th to resolve mutual concerns.

• Zakharova says that Raymond’s statements are part of a deliberate campaign to discredit Russia’s peace initiatives in space, to avoid another Cold War. She said that US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Ford had made similarly provocative claims about Russian space activities. Zakharova believes these verbal attacks are “nothing but the United States’ attempt to divert public attention from real threats in space, and to justify its moves to deploy weapons in outer space and obtain extra financing for such causes.”

• The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson branded U.S. alarm about Russian space activities as “fake”. “[S]erious concerns… cannot be resolved by means of such statements,” said Zakharova. “It is necessary to use the existing channels for expert and political dialogue… We do have such channels and it is necessary simply to use them. Unwillingness to do so is rather an evidence of [the] insufficiently grounded position of our American colleagues.”

• [Editor’s Note]  In February, General Raymond publicly called Russia out about a pair of Russian satellites deployed to pursue a US satellite last November, sometimes coming within 100 miles of it. “This is unusual and disturbing behavior …[that] has the potential to create a dangerous situation in space,” said Raymond. “The United States finds these recent activities to be concerning and do not reflect the behavior of a responsible spacefaring nation.” (see previous ExoArticle here)

 

      General John “Jay” Raymond

MOSCOW – Moscow is waiting for Washington to answer its questions about the US activities in outer

  Christopher Ford

space, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday, commenting on the statements by Gen. John Raymond, the first chief of space operations for the U.S. Space Force, about Russia’s alleged test launch of an anti-satellite missile.

“We also have a lot of questions. We asked them quite a long time ago and want to have an answer after all. A full-fledged meaningful Russian-US dialogue on a wide spectrum of issues of space activities security Russian and US senior diplomats agreed on on January 16 will help resolve mutual concerns,” she said.

Zakharova described Raymond’s statements as “Washington’s deliberate campaign to discredit Russia’s space activities and peace initiatives to prevent an arms race in outer space.” She recalled that it was not the first such allegation voiced by the US side. “Previously, such claims were voiced by US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Ford. We have commented on each and every such anti-Russian attack which are all nothing but the United States’ attempt to divert public attention from real threats in space and to justify its moves to deploy weapons in outer space and obtain extra financing for such causes,” Zakharova stressed.

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US Space Force to Stand Up a Doctrine Hub

 

Article by Valerie Insinna                       January 10, 2020                        (defensenews.com)

• Space Force was formally established on December 20th as an independent military branch inside the Department of the Air Force. Major General John Shaw, who leads Space Operations Command as commander of the U.S. Space Command’s combined force space component, said on January 10th that the Space Force is setting up a “space doctrine center” where planners from both the Air Force and Space Force “can figure out how …(to) set up a United States Space Force.” “[E]ven as we speak,” said Shaw, “there are folks meeting in Colorado Springs trying to lay this all out.”

• Although Shaw predicts that “war fighting (in space) is going to happen very quickly”, much needs to be done from laying out an organizational structure and creating a Space Force logo, to establishing bases and recruiting personnel. In December the 14th Air Force “Space Command” (headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California) was re-designated as Space Force Operations Command.

• At the January 10th event in Washington D.C., Shaw assured the audience that they’ve been working on Space Force’s structure. In December, before President Trump had even signed Space Force into law, Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett told reporters an initial planning cadre was beginning to hammer out some details. They created monthly goals leading up to February 1st when an initial organizational structure for the Space Force is due to be presented to Congress.

• Shaw has told his planning team to “create a war-fighting service for the 22nd century.” “‘Don’t even think about… the next decade or even the century.” “We started with that.” Shaw predicts that next century technology is going to come ‘fast’, and envisions Space Force as “ a lean, agile service that can quickly respond to threats.”

• Shaw also spoke about the “nerdy” aerospace engineering students who normally wouldn’t be interested in joining the military, but are attracted to a career in the Space Force. “[T]here’s something going on,” says Shaw. “There’s an excitement about space that I feel we can tap into.”

 

WASHINGTON — The Space Force is setting up a “space doctrine center” where the brand-new American armed service can begin to hammer out how to optimally operate in space, the head of Space Operations Command said Friday.

                  Maj. Gen. John Shaw

The Space Force was formally established on Dec. 20 as an independent military branch inside the Department of the Air Force. But much still needs to be done to get the fledgling service up on its feet, including laying out its organizational structure, creating a logo, potentially changing the name of bases and transferring airmen over to the Space Force.

Both the Air Force and Space Force have been working to fulfill these tasks, said Maj. Gen. John Shaw, who leads Space Operations Command and holds the title of U.S. Space Command’s combined force space component commander. Space Operations Command was formerly known as 14th Air Force up until the creation of the Space Force.

“We have been authorized some billets for a space doctrine center, and we’ll be holding a space doctrine conference in Colorado Springs next month,” Shaw said at a Jan. 10 breakfast event. “So I think we’re already thinking about how do we think about this anew.”

In December, just hours before President Donald Trump signed off on legislation that would codify the Space Force into law, Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett told reporters that her service had identified an initial planning cadre that would hammer out many of the major details needed to stand up the Space Force.

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Following Standup of Space Force, Air Force Bases Could be Renamed as Space Bases

 

Article by Sandra Erwin                            December 20, 2019                            (spacenews.com)

• Now that the U.S. Space Force is officially an independent military service, Air Force installations that primarily do space work will be renamed ‘Space Force bases’. Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, commander of U.S. Space Command who also will serve as the first chief of space operations in charge of the U.S. Space Force said, “We do have a plan to rename the principal Air Force bases that house space units to be space bases.” but the details of possible base re-naming are still being hammered out.

• Candidates for re-designation include Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force Base and Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado, Patrick Air Force Base in Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

• Raymond noted that that even if bases are named as space bases, the Space Force will continue to heavily rely on the Air Force to operate and maintain them. “We’ll work to rename those to match the mission of the base,” Raymond said.

• The idea of renaming Air Force bases is one of seven initiatives proposed by the Space Force Planning Task Force, a group of about 40 people led by Air Force Maj. Gen. Clinton Crosier who have spent the past eight months preparing for the establishment of the Space Force. According to a draft memo obtained by SpaceNews, the White House and the secretary of the Air Force have emphasized the importance of ‘moving out swiftly and rapidly’ and creating positive public perception with regards to expeditious implementation.

• Other recommendations are: 2) the issuing of a memorandum by the Secretary the Air Force outlining the responsibilities of the chief of space operations with the clear expectation that the U.S. Space Force will be a separate, independent service; 3) assign operational units within the Space Force; 4) designate Space Force unit members authorize to immediately wear the U.S. Space Force patch; 5) appoint an acting Assistant Secretary for Space Acquisition and Integration to oversee space acquisitions; 6) designate the members of the Space Force staff and advertise civilian positions for immediate hiring; 7) convene the Space Force Acquisition Council chaired by the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration.

• According to the Crosier draft memo, “To have the greatest public impact, the Space Force Planning Task Force recommends implementing the key actions listed above simultaneously,” so that the Department of the Air Force might declare ‘Initial Operational Capability’ for the Space Force much sooner than the 12-month plan.

 

WASHINGTON — With the U.S. Space Force now officially enacted as an independent military service, Air Force installations that primarily do space work would be renamed Space Force bases.

Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, for example, could become Peterson Space Force Base. Other candidates for re-designation include Colorado-based Schriever Air Force Base and Buckley Air Force Base, Patrick Air Force Base in Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

“We do have a plan to rename the principal Air Force bases that house space units to be space bases,” said Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, commander of U.S. Space Command who also will serve as the first chief of space operations (CSO) in charge of the U.S. Space Force.

Speaking with reporters Dec. 20, Raymond said the details of possible base re-naming are still being hammered out. “We’ll plan that appropriately in the months ahead,” Raymond said. He noted that that even if bases are named space based, the Space Force will continue to heavily rely on the Air Force to operate and maintain them.

“We’ll work to rename those to match the mission of the base,” Raymond said.

The idea of renaming Air Force bases is one of several initiatives proposed by the Space Force Planning Task Force, a group of about 40 people led by Air Force Maj. Gen. Clinton Crosier who have spent the past eight months preparing for the establishment of the Space Force once Congress authorized it.

Crosier in a draft memo laid out proposed actions to accelerate the standup of the U.S. Space Force, some that could be done as early as in 30 days.

A copy of Crosier’s memo was obtained by SpaceNews.

“The White House and the secretary of the Air Force have consistently set an expectation for rapid Space Force stand-up, and have emphasized the importance of ‘moving out swiftly and rapidly’ and creating positive public perception with regards to expeditious implementation,” the memo says.

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House Panel Lays Foundation for Future Space Force

by Sandra Erwin                 May 14, 2018                    (space.com)

• Last week, the House Armed Services Committee swiftly approved the recommendation of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee on military space reforms to establish a subordinate unified Space Command under U.S. Strategic Command.

• Another recommended provision calls for the secretary of the Air Force to establish a new numbered Air Force dedicated to space war-fighting.

• The proposal sets the stage for further debate over the coming months as the HASC language moves toward a House vote and a House-Senate conference this fall.

• Said Rep. John Garamendi, “We have had seven hearings on this. They all made the same point: We’re not prepared to defend this nation’s space assets in part because we’re not organized to do so. …We need to organize our military to defend space assets.”

• Unlike last year’s bill, this one does not mandate the establishment of a separate space corps in the U.S. military. That proposal is on hold pending the completion of an independent study mandated in the 2018 NDAA.

• Ranking Democrat Rep. Jim Cooper said the HASC mark “continues our efforts to define space as a war fighting domain.” It is “vital to make space one of our highness priorities.”

 

WASHINGTON — The House Armed Services Committee in its version of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act — passed after midnight Wednesday by a vote of 60-1 — pushes forward with the reorganization of military space forces. The proposal sets the stage for further debate over the coming months as the HASC language moves toward a House vote and a House-Senate conference this fall.

The committee swiftly approved the recommendations of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee on military space reforms. One is to establish a subordinate unified Space Command under U.S. Strategic Command. Another provision calls for the secretary of the Air Force to establish a new numbered Air Force dedicated to space warfighting. The bill also directs the deputy secretary of defense to develop a plan to establish a separate acquisition system for military space vehicles, ground systems and terminals.

Unlike last year’s bill, this one does not mandate the establishment of a separate space corps in the U.S. military. That proposal is on hold pending the completion of an independent study mandated in the 2018 NDAA.

The only obstacle in this year’s push to reorganize space was an amendment introduced by Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee Chairman Mike Turner to delay the creation of a sub-unified space command until after the Pentagon submits the independent study.

Turner was the chairman of Strategic Forces before Rep. Mike Rogers took over. His amendment would allow the secretary of defense to waive the requirement for the creation of a subordinate unified command if the study provided an alternative that congressional leaders found acceptable.
Rogers and Ranking Democrat Rep. Jim Cooper pushed back fiercely during the committee markup, and Turner’s amendment was rejected by voice vote.

Turner could reintroduce the amendment before the full House vote but he would face tough odds. The Rules Committee would take the HASC rejection into account before allowing the amendment to get to the House floor.

“This committee continues to place a high priority on following through with fixing the significant flaws in the organization and management of national security space enterprise,” Rogers said during the markup on Wednesday. “We continue to work with DoD on the report, but we recognize Congress has to continue to place significant pressure on the bureaucracy.”

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Air Force to Create Three-Star ‘Vice Commander’ Post in D.C. Area to Manage Space Activities

by Sandra Erwin             January 16, 2018             (spacenews.com)

• In an effort to comply with a legislative mandate promulgated in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act to increase focus on space and make it a higher priority on the U.S. Air Force’s agenda, the Air Force has announced plans to create a new three-star Vice Commander of Air Space Command position, with offices in Washington D.C. That office would “assist the commander of Air Force Space Command with his/her responsibility to organize, train and equip space forces.”

• This comes after Congress scrubbed a previous plan to create an Air Force three-star Deputy Chief of Staff for Space Operations office. Leaders of the House Armed Services Committee’s strategic forces subcommittee determined that the space forces should have more autonomy within the Air Force without setting up a distinctly separate Space Corps.

• Still, there are those in the House Armed Services Committee who want less bureaucracy, and have made it clear that the debate over the Space Corps is far from over.

 

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson has notified the congressional armed services committees of a new plan to create a three-star position that would directly support U.S. Space Command.

The post would be “vice commander of Air Force Space Command,” and would be based in Washington — not in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Air Force Space Command is headquartered.

This is part of a broader effort by the Air Force to comply with a legislative mandate to increase focus on space and make it a higher priority on the Air Force’s agenda.

“Recently, the Secretary of the Air Force notified the defense congressional committees of Air Force actions to implement the provisions of H.R. 2810, Section 1601 of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act,” Air Force spokesman Maj. William Russell told SpaceNews in a statement.

He said Air Force will establish a three-star vice commander of Air Force Space Command to be located in the national capital region. That office would “assist the commander of Air Force Space Command with his/her responsibility to organize, train and equip space forces.”

This plan comes just weeks after Congress in the 2018 NDAA nixed a previous plan to create an Air Force three-star “deputy chief of staff for space operations,” dubbed A-11. Air Force Space Command chief Gen. John Raymond announced the A-11 decision in April with much fanfare at the National Space Symposium. The intent was to nominate then Vice Commander of Air Force Space Command Maj. Gen. David D. Thompson to the position. Leaders of the House Armed Services Committee’s strategic forces subcommittee derided the idea and led a push to eliminate the A-11, calling for space forces to have more autonomy within the Air Force.

It is not clear whether the Air Force intends to select Thompson to serve in the new D.C.-based vice commander slot. Thompson since July has been special assistant to the commander of Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. Maj. Gen. Robert J. Skinner is the two-star deputy commander of Air Force Space Command, a job that would remain in Colorado.

Russell pointed out that the Air Force “will not establish the position and office of the deputy chief of staff of the Air Force for space operations.” And the service continues to “review acquisition management and governance to implement this act as well as acquisition reform authorized in previous defense authorization legislation.”

A Capitol Hill source said a move to create a new three-star office may make sense for the Air Force, but it might not go over well with lawmakers who want less bureaucracy. “The rhetoric on the Hill has been about removing boxes from the org chart,” the source said. “Adding a new slot may not resonate on the Hill.”

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry did not comment specifically on the Air Force proposal on Tuesday during a breakfast meeting with reporters. In general, he said, his committee will be “watching very carefully” how the Air Force goes about implementing the NDAA provisions concerning the management of space. The House voted for the creation of a stand-alone space corps within the Department of the Air Force but the proposal was rejected by the Senate.

“What we came up with in last year’s NDAA was a compromise that did not set up a separate space corps but did try to improve accountability for space,” Thornberry said. “It’s too early to say how well that’s worked. We’re just in the early days.”

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