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Space Control Gives Forces Leading Edge
Washington - Nov 18, 2003 The Space and Missile Systems Center Space Superiority Materiel Wing has forged a way to make space control a relevant goal in a world where asymmetric advantage tips the scale toward victory. As Col. James Haywood, Space Superiority Materiel Wing director, sees it, space is the final frontier. Gaining operational advantage and meeting the core space control functions of situational awareness, defensive counterspace and offensive counterspace assures freedom of action in space, enhancing warfighting capability. "Our program office is developing new and innovative space systems so tomorrow's warfighter and national intelligence communities will have the winning edge," said Haywood. "Delivering that winning edge warranted that this organization evolve to expand available technology and change to meet the challenge of developing systems capable of establishing space superiority." Haywood pointed out that recent conflicts like Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom have had forces take advantage of systems and technology created through space system development. "From basic communication technologies, to systems elite warfighters use to track enemy ground movements, new means of engagement to counteract aggression in a changing battle climate have emerged," he said. As the battle theater goes, so evolves the organizations that develop these means." Haywood's organization was formerly Advanced Systems and became Superiority System Program office in July 2002. Shortly after that they became Space Superiority Material Wing. Haywood said that becoming a Materiel Wing is not a unique transition for program offices. "The Space Superiority Materiel Wing happened to be one of the first system program offices to lean forward and become a materiel wing," he said. "Becoming a wing was driven by size. Size was driven by scope of mission and the resources needed to accomplish the mission. "There are two groups underneath the materiel wing. One group is the Advanced Space Superiority Systems Group. The other is the Counterspace Systems Group," Haywood said. He explained that organizational change has allowed the wing to put more of a laser focus on developing offensive counterspace, defensive counterspace and space situational awareness capabilities -- laser programmatic focus and then technologies needed to support those. It has also leveraged an evolution of air and space doctrine that facilitates a balance. Space doctrine has matured, in many ways, similar to how air doctrine has grown and matured. "Air superiority, we have learned, has long been a mission of the Air Force," continued Haywood. "Whenever we want to take this nation into a conflict of some kind, we've grown to understand that air superiority is priority one. "When we're going to operate in a campaign or in a theater, we must gain and maintain air superiority. In an operational environment today, we've got to understand space superiority in that same way. We need to operate and be able to exploit the space environment at a time of our choosing just like we do for air superiority. "We've treated space superiority as a component of Air Force Doctrine just like we've grown air superiority so that similarities now exists. You can see how that enhances the way we employ our forces today with Air Force Space Command being the component commander. We provide space capability to U.S. Strategic Command as well as those forces being deployed forward into a theater," Haywood said. Doctrine has an offensive counterspace component, defensive counterspace component and space situational awareness component -- having that overall awareness of the space environment is important to respond to what might be changing. "If someone is trying to employ or operate against your forces and national interests, we want to be able to see that right away, detect what they are doing and then react to it," said Haywood. "All that is wrapped up in space situational awareness. We understand that, certainly within the command and at the product center. In our materiel wing, we had to organize in a way to meet changing requirements. "Space control has emerged as a part of Air Force doctrine, forcing a reconstruction of what it means to fight a war," continued Haywood. "Tenants of air and space power set up operations that achieve concentration of purpose. These tenants ensure synergistic effects are produced and balance the operations along the joint operational boundary and functional lines integrating, as necessary, to get the job done." Related Links USAF SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express
New Space Aggressor Squadron Activated
Peterson AFB - Nov 18, 2003The 26th Space Aggressor Squadron, an Air Force reserve unit, was activated during a ceremony here at Air Force Space Command headquarters, Oct. 3. |
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