UNITED STATES SPACE COMMAND

Fact Sheet

DIRECTORATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, HEADQUARTERS, U.S. SPACE COMMAND, 250 S. PETERSON BLVD, STE 116, PETERSON AFB, CO 80914-3190 PHONE: (719) 554-6889 DSN: 692-6889

USSPACECOM Long Range Plan Summary

Overview

• Number one priority for US Space Command over the past 11 months. The development and production process, by design, involved hundreds of people and more than 75 organizations, including DoD, civil and commercial industry.
• Captures in one place a comprehensive roadmap to enable the forces envisioned in Joint Vision 2010 and to achieve our vision for 2020. Space power is key to achieving JV 2010.
• The stronger the linkage between JV 2010 and the USSPACECOM Vision, the more likely our nation will organize, train and equip the right space force of the future.

Guiding Principles

• Space is an enabler of military operations. Forces depend on information. Space-based sensors will provide much of this information. Virtually all other information will flow through space at some point.
• On the verge of a commercial space explosion. Industry growing 20% per year, 1000+ satellites to be launched and $500 billion to be spent worldwide over the next few years.
• Space is an emerging area of vital national interest. Space is critical to both military and economic instruments of power.
• We will be challenged. Adversaries will likely not confront US conventional forces. Space could be part of an attractive asymmetric strategy to inflict great damage on the nation.
• Military must be ready. Our nation’s growing dependence on space cannot become a vulnerability. Protecting our freedom to use space and having the ability to deny an enemy’s use of space will grow in importance.
• USSPACECOM has the lead as the single focal point for military space. The Long Range Plan is a critical step to enable us to fulfill our obligation.

Methodology

To move toward attaining the Vision, we developed four operational concepts based on the Unified Command Plan’s assigned missions, the anticipated future strategic environment and Joint Vision 2010. Our Long Range Plan identifies required capabilities, Concepts of Operation, new organizations and partnerships to achieve these operational concepts.

Operational Concepts

• Control of Space: assure freedom to operate, deny the enemy. By 2020, a wholly integrated suite of space and ground capabilities provides total situational understanding of the space region along with the ability to assure access to, through, and from space while defending against all hostile threats.
• Global Engagement: includes worldwide situational awareness, defense against ballistic and cruise missiles and, if directed by the National Command Authorities, the capability to hold at risk from space a small number of high value targets. By 2020, a robust and fully integrated suite of space and terrestrial capabilities provides dominant battlespace awareness enabling on-demand targeting and engagement of all ballistic and cruise missiles.
• Full Force Integration: the integration of space forces and information with air, land, and sea forces and information. By 2020, space forces are completely integrated with air, land, and sea forces to the point that operational commanders exploit space assets as intuitively as their more traditional assets. Warfighters take full advantage of space capabilities as an integral part of special, joint and combined warfare.
• Global Partnerships: strengthening military space capabilities through the leveraging of civil, commercial, intelligence, national, and international space efforts. In 2020, Global Partnerships will create an environment that enables the US military to achieve maximum space capabilities through enduring relationships. Partnerships may also decrease pressure on existing US infrastructure and build confidence in the conduct of coalition warfare.

Joint Vision 2010, USSPACE Vision for 2020 and the Long Range Plan

The JV 2010 fighting force will be enabled through the full exploitation of the space advantage. Dominant Maneuver, Precision Engagement, Full-Dimensional Protection, Focused Logistics, Information Superiority and ultimately Full Spectrum Dominance will be dramatically leveraged with robust space operations and matured space support. Execution of the USSPACECOM Long Range Plan will ensure our future warfighters are provided the right space capabilities to protect and defend America’s interests throughout the full spectrum of conflict.

Resourcing Issues

Lowering launch costs is key to affordable use of space. We must work this as a number one priority. Need to transfer investment to operating in space vice paying to get there.
Other avenues to pursue with vigor:

• Continue to migrate missions to space
• Determine space’s full impact

• Create better modeling and simulation systems to assess contribution of all space systems, able to test changing assumptions and developments

• Leverage advances in other sectors and burdensharing
• Alternate funding strategies
• Strive for continuous improvement

• Best business practices, fostering competition, tighten up margins

The Way Ahead

This plan sets the course to evolve military space

• to enable the armed forces envisioned in Joint Vision 2010
• to protect US national interests and investments in space

The synergy from systems, technologies, concepts of operation and partnerships is key to the success of this plan.

• USSPACECOM needs support from beyond the command to fully achieve the Vision. Policy issues require attention for all four operational concepts. The broad and varied members of our space community contribute to USSPACECOM’s ability to accomplish its missions. We all need clarifying policy to harness the strengths of our interdependence, improve efficiency, and ensure our nation’s continued pre-eminence in space.