DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY WORK SPEAKS ABOUT SPACE DOMAIN

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten, commander of Air Force Space Command, right, and Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, center, greet Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work as he arrives at the Scitor Complex to attend and speak at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 15, 2015. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.  

Work: Space Domain Presents Challenges, Threats
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT, April 16, 2015 – In a candid and passionate speech, Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work yesterday asked members of the space community to help the United States maintain its edge in the space domain in the 21st century.

Work spoke to more than 200 people from industry and government at the annual Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The space domain is an increasingly important area for the U.S. military, the U.S. government and the American people, the deputy secretary said.

‘Space Architecture Faces Increasing Risks’

“Space architecture faces increasing threats and together we must think about those challenges,” Work said in his speech.

The world is seeing a reemergence of strategic competition, which was dormant since the end of the Cold War, a senior defense official said, speaking on background.

Since the end of the Cold War, space has been a relatively benign environment, but that has changed, the official said. China, for example, tested an anti-satellite capability in January 2007, destroying one of its weather satellites as it traveled more than 500 miles above the Earth, the official said.

Russia also has capabilities that could reach into space, and the United States can no longer assume that space will not be contested, the official added.

Work stressed that the U.S. national security space architecture is resilient, but it is facing increasing threats, and America must think about and act on those challenges.

‘Space is Deeply Enmeshed in Our Force Structure’

“Space is deeply enmeshed in our force structure and is central to our way of deterring, assuring and warfighting,” the deputy secretary said.

The U.S. military cannot be complacent and must emphasize space control as challenges arise, he said.

Officials said that to maintain dominance in space, the United States “must consider all space assets, both classified and unclassified, as part of single constellation. And if an adversary tries to deny us the capability, we must be able to respond in an integrated, coordinated fashion.”

The deputy secretary stated the ultimate goal for the United States is to maintain space capabilities, through all phases of conflict, regardless of actions to deny the ultimate high ground.

The symposium was a perfect place for such a candid talk, the official said on background. Those in the space industry know they are important to the nation, “but it was a call for them to think hard about the future of national security in space.”

Work asked the audience to look at how the nation thinks of deterrence and stability in this emerging world where space assets might be held at risk.

“It was a really positive and candid interchange,” the official said. “It was not your average bureaucratic speech. [Work] was very animated and passionate about this issue. Space, cyber, [and] nuclear are core issues for us as a nation.”
Protecting Space Assets

In an environment where space assets are at risk, “you want to be able to be sure that the [space] community is thinking about how to protect them and the services they provide,” the official said. Industry and government must work together on the design and architecture of space systems, the official said, to make them perform better and make them less vulnerable.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Work have consistently stimulated strategic thinking in the department, and this has cut across all domains, the official said, noting a common factor in the domains is the contribution from space.

“You can’t be serious about strategic thinking and about deterrence in the 21st century if you are not talking about space,” the official said.

Looking at the core elements of what DoD does to defend America, its allies and its interests, it is clear that space is increasingly important, according to the official.

“Strategy dictates that if something is getting more important to core objectives it has to place higher on your hierarchy of needs,” the official said. “It’s important that we manage it in the right way.”

AIR FORCE 2014 BUDGET AND SPACE

 

An artist's depiction of the Space Based Space Surveillance satellite. The Joint Space Operations Center uses data collected from SBSS to track orbiting objects in geostationary and low earth orbit, providng space situational awareness to U.S. miliitary and commercial space users. Members of the 1st and 7th Space Operations Squadron command and control the satellite. Credit: U.S. Air Force Space Command.

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
AF leaders highlight space program successes, address FY14 budget

4/18/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Space today is in as good a position as it's been in a very long time, said Richard McKinney, the deputy under secretary of the Air Force for space.

McKinney, along with Dr. Jamie Morin, the acting under secretary of the Air Force, and Brig. Gen. Robert McMurry, the director of space programs for the office of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, briefed members of the media on the Air Force's fiscal 2014 Space Budget April 15 in the Pentagon here.

"We're in production," McKinney said. "We've got missile warning in production, we've got Advanced Extremely High Frequency, or AEHF, (satellites) in production, and Wideband Global SATCOM is in production. On launch -- we have 10 years of 100 percent successful flights. We have more capability today than we have ever had."

The Air Force has requested approximately $6.5 billion for its space investment portfolio in FY 2014. The top five programs include: the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle, Space Based Infrared System early warning satellites, Global Positioning System III navigation satellites, AEHF military communications satellites, and space situational awareness systems.

The fiscal 2014 request is slightly higher than the fiscal 2013 request of $6.3 billion for its space investment portfolio, but does not reflect the cuts that would take place under sequestration. It does, however, reflect the Air Force's ongoing commitment to providing enhanced space capabilities to the joint team.

"We continue to offer the nation these space capabilities which are a tremendous force multiplier," Morin said. "Relying on space, whether it's reliable communications or precision navigation or warning of what others might be doing in space or warning of missile launches, all of that enables the other parts of the joint team to function very effectively and provides those force multipliers we're relying on."

And being a force multiplier is something that is all the more essential as budgets are under stress, Morin said.

"We've been working hard to take costs out of the space programs. We've had some real successes," he said, highlighting the fact that sequestration would undermine these achievements. "If we pull the rug out from under that through continued budgetary uncertainty or ill-conceived cuts, then we're going to do a disservice to the taxpayer who is just now beginning to benefit from this effort to squeeze costs down."

Morin also highlighted several space programs that the Air Force successfully found ways to stretch dollars and provide stability.

"The Advanced Extremely High Frequency communication satellite -- we are now predicting more than $1 billion in savings based on the contract work that has been done on that," he said. "On the Space Based Infrared System, we've already projected over $500 million in savings."

The Air Force has also moved to a "block buy," of launch systems, purchasing a number of items at a time, allowing for lower per-unit prices -- with a path to enable competition for certified new entrants, which will allow for significant savings.

McMurry also spoke about the successes that have been achieved through the Joint Space Operations Center Mission System, or JMS.

"We've brought the initial operational capability in three years, and pulled $500 million out of the program while still meeting operational requirements," McMurry said, describing a joint effort that involved moving to a commercially procured software approach.

The service has also seen success through partnerships with allies, enabling a cost-share where all parties can share the capability of the satellite.

"In both the AEHF and WGS communication satellite programs, you've seen us ink agreements with allies, in some cases multiple allies," Morin said. "This is win, win, win on so many different levels. It's promoting interoperability with key partners. It's driving down costs to the U.S. taxpayer, and it's building more capacity in these constellations."

In light of these successes and efforts to drive costs down, Morin emphasized the fact that programs still remain vulnerable. However the service will continue to strive for stability in the space program to ensure it can provide those capabilities the joint team relies on.

"The Air Force's capabilities in space are going to continue to be touchstones for the whole joint team, the whole of government and for the private sector," Morin said. "We're committed to enabling the joint force, providing the force multipliers that make the joint force stronger. And we're committed to doing so in a way that's respectful of the taxpayers' dollar."

(Courtesy of Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs)