Gen. Stephen Whiting, USSPACECOM commander, highlighted the organization's growth into a fully operational headquarters. "While there's a lot left to do - and part of the last five years was really figuring out what we all have to do collectively to defend our interests in space - we are so much better postured today than we were five years ago," Whiting said.
Whiting noted that reaching full operational capability was a key milestone, but equally important was the command's ability to articulate its supporting and supported roles. This involves not only providing military spacepower to combatant commanders and protecting the joint force from space-enabled attacks but also being prepared to receive support in the increasingly complex space domain.
"In space, we are the supported command, and we have to have the right relationships with other combatant commands so that we can leverage them," Whiting explained. "We can't achieve all that we need to do without their capabilities, as well as our international partners, interagency partners, and others."
Joining Whiting on the panel were USSPACECOM's Chief of Staff, Rear Adm. William Pennington, and Royal Air Force Air Commodore Darren Whitely, the command's Deputy Director of Strategy, Plans, and Policy. Both leaders emphasized the importance of leveraging diverse expertise and perspectives.
Reflecting on the command's early days, Pennington recalled that USSPACECOM initially had no assigned components. Now, five years later, each military branch contributes warfighting forces for operational employment. "What the services have invested in is the development of their force to have a greater understanding of space ... to enable true multi-domain joint force and coalition-force warfare," Pennington said. He also noted the fusion of space and maneuver expertise as a "total joint force solution."
Air Commodore Whitely discussed the importance of integrating multi-domain and combined focus into operational plans. Recently, the command has emphasized using language that any joint warfighter can understand. "Before, the [planning] annexes ... didn't really talk about effects, but to do globally integrated operations, you need globally integrated planning," he said.
One of the significant successes highlighted was Operation Olympic Defender (OOD), a U.S.-led initiative to enhance combined space operations with international partners. Opened to allies and partners in 2019, OOD now includes the U.S., Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and, more recently, France, Germany, and New Zealand. Whitely noted that joining a named operation like OOD can drive policy changes necessary for effective collaboration.
Looking ahead, USSPACECOM aims to further expand its warfighting capabilities through intelligence-driven operations and enhanced information-sharing with international partners, commercial entities, and intergovernmental agencies. The command continues to monitor space for potential threats, including competitor counterspace capabilities and space debris, as part of its commitment to responsible behavior in space.
As USSPACECOM celebrates its fifth anniversary, it remains focused on ensuring that space remains a domain for peaceful exploration and discovery. Reflecting on humanity's space journey, Whiting expressed optimism about the future: "I was only just under two years old when Neil Armstrong walked out on the lunar surface ... and I think in my lifetime, I'm going to see somebody walk out onto the Mars surface," he said. "We want to make sure that no bad actors prevent that from happening; we want this exciting space future to be there for all mankind."
Related Links
US Space Command
Military Space News at SpaceWar.com
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