The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has allocated $728 million in common funding for a new capability program plan designed to significantly enhance its Space Operations Center. This investment will provide the center with critical mission systems, data, and training to improve space domain awareness and command and control for the 32-member alliance.
The funding was confirmed by U.S. Space Force Col. Jonathan Whitaker, chief of staff of the NATO Combined Forces Space Component Command (CFSpCC). The Space Operations Center operates under the CFSpCC, with both entities located at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany.
Key Takeaways
- NATO has committed $728 million to its Space Operations Center through a new capability program plan.
- The funding will support mission systems, training, and data management for improved space awareness.
- A new data platform, the Allied Exchange Environment (AXE), is being developed, modeled on the U.S. Space Force's Unified Data Library.
- The initiative will heavily rely on commercial off-the-shelf technologies and data from member nations and private companies.
A Strategic Investment in Space Defense
The new capability program plan represents a major step forward in NATO's efforts to establish a robust presence in the space domain. According to Col. Whitaker, the investment is foundational for the alliance's space-related missions.
"It is intended to deliver our mission system, our contractors, the training and the data for the NATO Space Operations Center, so that we can do our battle space awareness and command and control mission for space for NATO," Whitaker stated during the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance conference.
The CFSpCC and the Space Operations Center are currently funded by a coalition of 16 NATO member nations. This new common funding injection aims to centralize and expand their capabilities, ensuring the entire alliance can benefit from improved space intelligence and coordination.
Background: NATO's Focus on Space
In 2019, NATO declared space an operational domain, alongside air, land, sea, and cyberspace. This decision recognized that space is essential to the alliance's security, affecting everything from navigation and communications to intelligence gathering. The establishment of the Space Operations Center at Ramstein AFB was a direct result of this strategic shift.
Developing the Allied Exchange Environment (AXE)
A central component of this new initiative is the development of a NATO-specific data lake known as the Allied Exchange Environment, or AXE. This platform is being designed to manage and share vast amounts of space-related data among allies in a secure, classified environment.
Modeled on a U.S. System
Col. Whitaker explained that AXE is modeled after the U.S. Space Force's Unified Data Library (UDL) but will operate as a completely separate system. "AXE has the same schema as the Unified Data Library, but [is] completely separate," he said. This structure allows NATO to leverage a proven data architecture while maintaining its own independent system.
The platform is designed to handle diverse data types, including space domain awareness information and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data from space-based assets. This will enable NATO to build a comprehensive picture of the space environment.
APSS: Fueling the Data Lake
The AXE platform will be largely populated with information from the Allied Persistent Surveillance from Space (APSS) program. Launched in 2023, APSS involves 19 member nations that have agreed to share data from their national surveillance satellites, creating a "virtual constellation." The program is expected to reach initial operational capability on January 1, 2026.
Integrating Intelligence and Commercial Data
The new program emphasizes a blended approach, combining data from member nations' military assets with commercially available information. This strategy allows NATO to access a wider range of data and analytical tools quickly and efficiently.
The plan "starts with existing, commercial, off-the-shelf applications and data sources, and infuses those... with national contributions as well," Whitaker noted. This flexible approach is designed to adapt to the rapidly evolving commercial space sector.
A Hub for Geospatial Intelligence
The CFSpCC is now recognized as one of NATO's official intelligence nodes. A specialized team from the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe's J2 (intelligence) staff is embedded within the command. Their role is to identify geospatial intelligence requirements that can be met through various sources.
These sources include:
- Existing government repositories like the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) database.
- Direct acquisition of data and analysis from commercial contracts.
- Data shared by member nations through programs like APSS.
Future Applications and Strategic Vision
The integration of AXE into NATO’s broader Federated Mission Networking environment is a key long-term goal. This will ensure that data processed at the Space Operations Center can be shared seamlessly with commanders across the alliance.
"In a data-rich environment we can share decision-quality data with our commanders at the speed, at a cadence of operational relevance," Whitaker explained. This capability is crucial for modern military operations, where speed of information can determine outcomes.
Leveraging U.S. Innovations
NATO is also exploring how to adapt successful U.S. programs for its own use. One example is the U.S. Space Force's Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking (TacSRT) program. While TacSRT has certain limitations within the U.S. system—specifically, its inability to handle intelligence data within the UDL—NATO's AXE platform does not have the same restriction.
This means NATO could "take the great lessons learned and the schema of TacSRT, and apply it in different ways that really haven’t been operationally defined yet," said Whitaker. This presents a "wide open opportunity" for the alliance to develop new and powerful analytical tools for space operations, enhancing its collective defense posture in an increasingly contested domain.