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Quick Analysis

What the U.S. Space Force Must Do

U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, delivered remarks at a CSIS Aerospace Security Project event reflecting on the Space Force’s accomplishments and mission five years after its creation. We present key portions of his address. People have come to realize the very real threats that exist in space and the compelling need for a Space Force. This was all happening at a time when our reliance on space and the threats to our space systems were growing rapidly, as was a budding commercial space ecosystem. So where are we today? The trends we saw then have significantly accelerated. There has been a roughly 400% increase in the number of satellites, driven primarily by commercial companies. Tens of billions of dollars of private investment are fueling bold innovation. And the fabric of space is extending deeper into the joint force, as well as our daily lives. I believe we are entering a new “Apollo-like” era for space and I’m excited about the future. But I am also concerned. China and Russia haven’t been idle during this time. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started with cyber-attacks of commercial space ground infrastructure. This was followed by persistent GPS jamming, demonstrating what many had warned about 5 years ago. That future conflicts would extend to space. No adversary understands that better than China. China has continued an unprecedented run to deploy systems on orbit designed to remove our space advantages. They will also enable the Chinese military to track and target our joint force. General Saltzman recently described this pace of Chinese activity as “mind boggling”. And they show no sign of slowing down. So the Space Force has its work cut out for it, but they’re not going it alone. Congress will be a partner. We will continue providing the policies and resources to ensure the US is leading and strengthening our posture in space. So, let’s get into some areas of focus as we look to the future. I’ll start with people, and I’ll be blunt – the Space Force needs to grow. When we stood up the service, we called for a small, agile force. At that time, the focus was to get them on their feet and running. We addressed issues like having their own budget, personnel, and promotion structure. We have come a long way from those early tasks. But now, it’s time for us to increase the size of the force to meet the growing threats. This increase needs to include both enlisted and civilian guardians as well as, junior officers, and general officers. I know some of my friends in Congress are violently opposed to any growth as just increasing overhead. But if we want to have a Space Force capable of doing what the nation expects, it has to have enough people, and the right people to carry out it’s mission. Now I’m not advocating a wholesale increase in end strength. Everyone is going to have to give a little. Congress should authorize more GOs; The Air Force should transfer some of their billets to the Space Force; And the Secretary of Defense should transfer additional billets from his pool. But, as we push to increase the size of the Space Force, we must make sure we are “developing” our guardians. When it comes to guardians it’s about quality AND quantity. We need to give them the skills they will need to support a technology-driven force. Both Generals Saltzman and Raymond have done a great job building a war-fighting culture and normalizing space as part of the joint fight. Nonetheless, we still have much more work to do. Seven years ago, the General Officer promotion stats for the Air Force revealed that almost all of those promoted were pilots. As I look to the future of the Space Force, I’m going to be watching these statistics to ensure that the Space Force isn’t making the same mistake. The Space Force has to be led by more than just operators. They must recognize the contributions of all career services if it is to be successful. A deep understanding and connection with technology is at the core of the Space Force. Operators, acquisition, intel, and cyber professionals must all be on equal footing. The future of the Space Force will depend on its ability to both nurture these unique specialties and tribes, while also creating a unified fighting force. Don’t get me wrong, I agree that growing and building space operators is critically important. But, the development of acquisition and other professionals is just as important. After all, what are those operators going to operate if acquirers aren’t acquiring? For the Space Force, and the joint force to succeed we must have guardians that are just as comfortable operating in space as they are breaking down a requirements document. That leads us to budget and acquisition. As mentioned, General Saltzman has talked about a “mind-boggling” growth of national security threats in space. In this threat environment we expect the Space Force to perform two major missions. The first is to enable the joint force. The second is to protect and defend our interests in, to, and from space. This second mission, in particular, is no small task. And, this growth in mission must come with a growth in budget. Space warfighting is a highly technical affair. But don’t expect Congress to just throw more money at doing things the way we always have. We must approach acquisition differently. We can no longer afford to wait 8+ years to develop requirements, and conduct long drawn-out competition processes. Nor can we afford these endless cost-plus development contracts. Fortunately, progress is being made. Secretary Calvelli for his part has worked to expedite things by emphasizing fixed priced contracts. And SDA has taken advantage of many of the acquisition methods authorized by Congress for just this purpose. Our commercial space sector, the envy of the world, is investing billions in new infrastructure and manufacturing. This includes modern technologies such as AI, autonomy, and more. Everyone is moving a little bit in the right direction, but it is not enough. The Department must be more agile and continue to use every lever that has been given to it by Congress […]