O U R C U L T U R ECombat Effectiveness In, From, and Through Space

O U R S T R A T E G Y

Today’s complex global security environment presents challenges more significant than we’ve seen in many years. As highlighted in our National Defense Strategy (NDS), we are facing the “reemergence of long-term, strategic competition characterized by overt challenges to the free and open international order.” That formidable threat is particularly acute in the space domain, where for years we have enjoyed unfettered access

to its advantages, having conquered every challenge we have faced there. Today, our adversaries have taken notice of our success in space. They know what a force multiplier space has become, and they envy the military and economic advantages it gives us. They are posturing to negate those advantages. As a result, we can no longer assume that our space superiority is a given. Space is now a warfighting domain. As outlined in the NDS, the national imperative demands that we prepare to fight for space superiority, and if compelled to fight, that we win. Accordingly, the men and women of United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) will build on our culture of outstanding mission execution, expanding that excellence into our emerging space warfighting missions. Our singular focus will be on combat – how to develop, train, execute, and win. That is what makes our mission qualitatively different from that of our predecessors. With allies and partners, USSPACECOM will protect and defend the space domain by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression, and when necessary, fighting to win. In short, we will implement our vision of one unified team with combat ready forces prepared to fight for and preserve United States and allied space superiority.

Deter, Defend, Deliver, and Develop

Our mission involves four distinct areas of focus: USSPACECOM deters aggression and conflict, defends U.S. and allied freedom of action, delivers space combat power for the Joint/Combined force, and develops joint warfighters to advance U.S. and allied interests in, from, and through the space domain. This mission set, born of clear national-level strategic guidance, informed by joint

mission analysis, honed through the joint planning and war-gaming process, and synchronized across all combatant commands (CCMD) provides the framework through which we will ensure United States and allied space superiority. Specifically, we will build to a conditions-based Initial Operating Capability (IOC) in our four focus areas: • Deter Aggression/Conflict: USSPACECOM strengthens our national deterrence through the provision of space warfighting options that preserve United States and allied competitive advantage, and promote security and stability. • Defend U.S. and Allied Interests: If deterrence fails, USSPACECOM, in coordination with allied and joint force commanders and inter-agency partners, will lead the protection and defense of our combined interests in the space domain.• Deliver Space Combat Power: USSPACECOM is committed to providing and expanding space combat power to enable joint and combined force success. • Develop Ready and Lethal Joint Warfighters: USSPACECOM will improve the development of space operations forces and capabilities to enhance space warfighting readiness and lethality while accelerating the integration of space capabilities into other warfighting forces.

O U R O P E R A T I O N A L A P P R O A C HA Combat Focus on Structures, Operations, and Culture

To execute our assigned missions, maintain our combat effectiveness, and give the National Command Authorities options in achieving our overarching objectives of deterrence and robust combat capability, we must address the inevitable challenges of a new combatant command. While we have the benefit of experience with the original USSPACECOM (1985-2002), today’s broader set of space capabilities along with the

expanded responsibilities directed in Unified Command Plan (UCP) demand the need for significant changes to the original approach. Accordingly, we will focus on the following priorities in order to build necessary structures for combat effectiveness, adapt and develop combat operations for a new domain, and solidify our space combat-focused culture: • Seamlessly Transitioning Space Warfighting Responsibilities: We will transition the space missions previously assigned to USSTRATCOM without any degradation to capabilities provided to our joint and coalition warfighters and rapidly increase the scope and effectiveness of those capabilities. Doing so will requires realignment, assumption, and assignment of existing space warfighting forces. We must establish well organized support staffs, to include a fully staffed Headquarters. We must rapidly integrate service components. Further, we must structure the Combined Force Space Component Command (CFSCC) and Joint Task Force – Space Defense (JTF-SD) to aggressively expand our space mission areas without creating seams our adversaries can exploit.• Rapidly Building Capabilities for Initial and Full Operational Capability: We will establish, align, and normalize new and existing command and control nodes. We will baseline and fully integrate existing forces and weapon systems even as we continue advocating and planning for fielding new ones to meet emerging threats. We will establish and normalize a USSPACECOM operational battle rhythm along with accompanying tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP). Conditions-based IOC will occur when forces are aligned, roles and responsibilities are refined, lines of authority and responsibility are clear, C2 nodes are in place, and personnel have adapted to a joint warfighting mindset. FOC will occur when combat forces are fully integrated internally, capabilities are fully established and immersed within the Joint Strategic Planning System, facilities are in place and functioning, and our warfighting culture is adapted and strengthened. • Integrating with Interagency and Fellow Combatant Commands: Mission success requires a multi-service, multi-domain, and globally integrated approach to national security objectives, consistent with the Chairman’s Joint Concept for Integrated Campaigning. We will fully integrate with other CCMDs and our Interagency mission partners in pursuit of those objectives in both our supporting and supported roles, with particular focus on integration within USSPACECOM’s subordinate commands. Located within the staffs of other CCMDs, our Integrated Planning Elements (IPE) will be on point to ensure effectiveness of those integration efforts. • Expanding Key Allied and Commercial Partnerships: Retaining U.S. and Allied space superiority requires a combined approach. Our existing partnerships with allied and commercial entities are foundational to our combat effectiveness. We will broaden and strengthen those partnerships throughout our AoR, but most especially within USSPACECOM’s subordinate commands. • Growing Joint-Smart Space Warfighters and Space-Smart Joint Warfighters: A warrior ethos is a combat enabler. We’ll take our existing space warfighting culture, established with the first USSPACECOM, honed in the Cold War, and hardened in several conflicts since, and adapt it to today’s strategic environment. We’ll further embed that warfighting culture among our people, with a singular focus on space as a supported as well as supporting combat capability.Our task is significant. We must move fast and be bold in fielding threshold space warfighting capability in order to execute our UCP-assigned responsibilities immediately. Commanders will have the autonomy to develop and implement solutions in establishing that capability within the framework of these priorities. Those solutions will set the conditions for executing our mission, enabling space domain deterrence and combat success.

O U R C A L L I N GThe New National Imperative for Space

The best way to avoid war is to be prepared to fight and win. This imperative requires establishing USSPACECOM as a singularly focused Geographic Combatant Command. While our mission is deterrence, its foundation is combat effectiveness. U.S. and allied dependence on space demands that we are prepared to protect and defend our interests there in order to deliver on the sacred trust we’ve been given. The

outstanding United States and allied soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and civilians who provide that protection and defense are the real source of USSPACECOM’s combat power; they will answer the calling of our new national imperative for space.