Figure 8-25 Global Partnerships Priority Assessments
GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS
ASSESSING PRIORITIES FOR GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS
Priority assessments for Global Partnerships outline each operational concept's critical capabilities and thrusts, and their partnership potential. The roadmaps we've presented throughout this section have shown how to partner successfully for each capability with a "High" or "Medium-High" potential for partnership (See Figure 8-25).
| "Victory smiles upon those who anticipate the changes in the character of war and
not those who wait to adapt themselves after the changes occur." Giulio Douhet |
Figure 8-25 relates each of the Operational Concept Integrator's critical capabilities to Global Partnership roadmaps.
MAKING GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS REAL
While partnering presents many chances to meet mission requirements through 2020, impediments may limit its potency. Overall, global partnering has three challenges: limited resources, profit motivation of corporations, and allies' national interests which may diverge from ours.
Surmounting such obstacles will challenge many people for a long time. USCINCSPACE must keep an institutional commitment and focus on partnering through close contact with involved stakeholders, calculated risk-taking developers, the right organization to carry it out, and top-down direction whenever necessary.
The key to making Global Partnerships endure is to create a GP Execution Group (GPX). This Group would consist of personnel from active duty, reserve, civil service, and contractor organizations-with backgrounds in space system acquisition, operations, civilian and commercial development, and international affairs. Personnel from USSPACECOM who are now partnering in the international, civil, and commercial areas could be the initial cadre. National-level liaison may also want to participate. Because staffing billets are a critical issue, outsourcing part of the effort makes good sense, as does selectively employing reservists with expertise in business, industry, and international affairs. Beyond the core cadre, the group could use other specialists for a short time to solve certain issues. Allies may also be able to contribute personnel.
The GPX would focus on partnering and externally orient themselves to relate with commercial, civil and international players. Internally, the GPX would report directly to USCINCSPACE (or the Deputy CINC) with appropriate direct access and would internally clear and coordinate all initiatives for Global Partnerships. The GPX would jump-start or be a catalyst for immediate action on partnering that requires quick action, is highly visible, and has a strong effect on capability development. At the same time, the GPX would be trying to institutionalize key processes and build on early successes to develop momentum. The idea of an 18 to 24- month sunset clause for the GPX has merit.
ACHIEVING EARLY SUCCESS IN PARTNERING
Although Global Partnerships aren't a panacea for operating within a resource-constrained environment, it is an integrated approach to maintaining US space superiority well into the 21st Century. Global partnering represents a basic shift in traditional thinking about achieving warfighting capabilities for space.
Several initiatives offer a chance for early success in partnerships. First, as noted above, we need a special group within USSPACECOM to kick-start partnering. Second, we must expand professional-education programs to rapidly develop the military professional's knowledge of space. Finally, we must seek commercial partners to develop the SSN, space-launch operations, and command and control operations on the ground-three areas where partnering can save a lot of money now and later. Opportunities for "immediate success" are:
Figure 8-25 Global Partnerships Priority Assessments
