IRIA News

The United States Space Force has requested a $30 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2024 to counter threats from space assets and threats to space assets.

The request for an additional amount is about $3.9 billion over what was enacted for the service in Fiscal Year 2023. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, “More than 60% of the Space Force budget, about $19.2 billion worth, is aimed at research, development, testing and evaluation”.

Chief of U.S. Space Operations General B. Chance Saltzman told the Senate Armed Services Committee that his first priority is “to build resilient, ready, combat-credible space forces”, and to achieve this objective, the U.S. needs to accelerate “the pivot towards resilient satellite constellations, ground stations, networks, and data links”.

Saltzman said it is essential to account for two kinds of challenges: “threats from space assets and… threats to space assets”. Saltzman stressed that the Space Force aims to ready itself to meet those challenges.

Threats from Space

U.S. General Saltzman explained that ‘threats from space’ include “China’s and Russia’s robust space-based capabilities which allow them to find, target, and attack U.S. military forces on land, at sea, and in the air”.

The United States also has space assets, including satellites that it relies on for communications and navigation, and that are at risk from U.S. adversaries. Saltzman said that “Both China and Russia continue to develop, field, and deploy a range of weapons aimed at U.S. space capabilities.”

Saltzman added that “The spectrum of threats to U.S. space capabilities includes cyber warfare activities, electronic attack platforms, directed energy lasers designed to blind or damage satellite sensors, ground-to-orbit missiles to destroy satellites and space-to-space orbital engagement systems that can attack U.S. satellites in space.”

Saltzman told the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee that in order to meet those challenges, Space Force efforts in 2024 will be focused on fielding combat-ready forces, amplifying the Guardian spirit, and strengthening the partnerships with the U.S. allies and partners.

Building Elite Workforce

U.S. General Saltzman said that his second priority is to “amplify the Guardian spirit by embracing a modern talent management process that recruits the best talent, develops and retains an elite workforce, and empowers Guardians to succeed”.

The U.S. general highlighted that to build a resilient and combat-credible force, it is important to improve cybersecurity and prepare Space Force Guardians to detect and defeat cyber-attacks against networks, systems, ground stations, datalinks, and satellites.

The Space Force has also launched a program, which allows experienced professionals from other fields to directly commission into the Space Force at ranks appropriate to their civilian experience. “Over the last year, we have also deployed space-centric curriculum for basic military training, Reserve Officer Training Corps and Officer Training School,” the U.S. general said.

Saltzman further added that the Space Force is also looking to a concept that allows personnel to more easily move between full-time and part-time military service — without causing damage to their careers — so that they can pursue enriching opportunities outside full-time military service”.

Enhancing Partnerships

U.S. General Saltzman said that the third priority for Space Force is to strengthen partnerships with the U.S. allies. According to the Pentagon statement, since taking over as chief of space operations four months ago, Saltzman has visited multiple combatant commands and also met with space chiefs in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Saltzman said that “U.S. allies and international partners are eager for expanded collaboration with the Space Force, especially in areas that strengthen the effectiveness of coalition space operations and reinforce norms of responsible behavior.”

The Pentagon statement read that the Space Force is striving to eliminate barriers to collaboration, including overclassification, to build enduring advantages with the U.S. partners. Saltzman highlighted that “To date, personnel from over 50 countries have participated in the training, education, and exercise events hosted by the Space Force. We are also leveraging allies and partners to expand our warfighting capability.”

Saltzman added that commercial partners and the technologies developed there, such as advanced power and propulsion, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, are also a focus for increased partnerships for Space Force, according to the Department of Defense release.