The United States Space Force is undergoing a significant expansion in both size and mission scope as it adapts to increasing threats in orbit from competitors like China and Russia. According to Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, the service is shifting its focus from environmental challenges to actively preparing for potential conflict in the space domain.
This strategic pivot includes managing the largest budget in the service's history, integrating a new part-time service model, and addressing critical organizational questions to ensure its readiness for the next decade.
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. Space Force is growing to address direct threats from China and Russia, which are developing advanced anti-satellite capabilities.
- Gen. B. Chance Saltzman states the service's purpose is to contest the space domain, a shift from simply operating in it.
- A new part-time service model is being introduced, integrating Reservists and Guardsmen directly into full-time units.
- The service faces decisions on developing its own support functions, such as contracting, versus continued reliance on the U.S. Air Force.
A New Era of Contested Space
The fundamental mission of the Space Force has evolved since its inception. Initially, the primary challenges were environmental, such as space weather and gravitational forces. Today, the focus is on adversarial threats.
Gen. Saltzman emphasized this change, explaining that a separate military service for space is necessary because the domain is now actively contested. "You don’t need a service unless you have to contest the domain," Saltzman stated in a recent interview.
"Somebody’s trying to prevent you from doing your mission actively, with technology and training, and they have their own theories of victory to stop you."
He compared the situation to the historical creation of the Air Force from the Army, noting that the need to command the air was essential for overall military success. The same logic, he argues, now applies to space.
Identifying Adversarial Capabilities
U.S. military officials have become more open about the specific capabilities being developed by potential adversaries. According to intelligence assessments, both China and Russia are investing heavily in technologies designed to disrupt or destroy American space assets.
China, referred to as the PRC (People's Republic of China), is developing a comprehensive suite of counterspace weapons.
China's Counterspace Arsenal
Gen. Saltzman outlined six categories of counterspace capabilities being pursued by the PRC:
- Ground-Based Kinetic Kill: Missiles launched from Earth to physically destroy satellites.
- Ground-Based RF Interference: Jamming satellite communication signals from the ground.
- Ground-Based Directed Energy: Using lasers or other energy weapons to damage or disable satellites.
- On-Orbit Kinetic Kill: Satellites designed to collide with and destroy other spacecraft.
- On-Orbit RF Interference: Satellites that can jam signals from a position in orbit.
- On-Orbit Directed Energy: Satellites equipped with energy weapons to target other orbital assets.
These developments represent a direct threat to U.S. satellites, which are critical for communication, navigation, and intelligence gathering. Russia is also a significant concern, reportedly testing a nuclear anti-satellite weapon designed for deployment in orbit.
"We have to understand what they can do to our systems and what tactics we have to mitigate and overcome them," Saltzman added. The conversation has shifted from managing the harsh environment of space to planning for "combat attrition" and "deliberate interference."
Organizational Growth and Future Planning
Established in late 2019, the Space Force is preparing for its seventh year in 2026 with its largest-ever budget and a growing roster of personnel, known as Guardians. The service is now widely accepted as a necessary component of the U.S. military.
From Novelty to Necessity
When the Space Force was first created, its purpose was questioned by some analysts. However, with the growing acknowledgment of space as a potential battlefield, its value is now rarely challenged. According to Gen. Saltzman, the core mission is clear: "Space is important to the military... And we have adversaries trying to take those capabilities away. Now you have a service focused on trying to maintain those advantages."
Gen. Saltzman expressed confidence that the service's current initiatives will position it effectively for the next 10 to 15 years. This includes taking on major projects like the Golden Dome missile defense initiative. However, this rapid growth brings internal challenges that require careful management.
Building an Independent Service
One of the key questions facing the Space Force is its reliance on the Air Force for essential support functions. Currently, the service uses Air Force personnel for roles like contracting, which is vital for acquiring new technologies and capabilities.
"Right now, we don’t have contracting officers," Saltzman explained. "At some point, how important is it that we grow a separate career path that allows us to have our own organic contracting officers to do this work?"
Decisions must be made on whether to create these roles within the Space Force and whether they should be filled by civilians, officers, or enlisted personnel. While the current model works due to the service's small scale, Saltzman noted this is an issue that may need to be addressed "pretty quickly for the next three to five years."
A New Approach to Personnel
The Space Force is also innovating its personnel structure. Faced with federal constraints on growing the civilian workforce, the service is exploring how to best utilize its uniformed members. This has led to the creation of a unique part-time service model.
The new model will integrate members of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard directly into the Space Force. The application deadline for Air National Guardsmen seeking full-time transfer is September 19, while Air Force Reserve personnel can apply to become the first part-time Guardians until October 10.
How Part-Time Guardians Will Work
Unlike the traditional Reserve and Guard model, where part-time units are called up for active duty when needed, the Space Force will not have any part-time units. Instead, part-time Guardians will fill positions within existing full-time units.
"All Space Force units will be full-time units. But they will have part-time positions that augment them for various reasons," Saltzman clarified.
This structure allows the service to leverage specialized skills on an as-needed basis without maintaining separate, standalone units. Part-time personnel will likely support institutional functions that do not require constant readiness.
Potential roles for part-time Guardians include:
- Test Community: Surging personnel to support major tests of new systems like GPS.
- Training Community: Providing expertise for specific training exercises.
- Aggressor Squadrons: Simulating adversary tactics during training.
- Range Operations: Supplementing staff for complex range activities.
By embedding part-time specialists directly into its organizational structure, the Space Force aims to create a more flexible and efficient force capable of adapting to the dynamic challenges of the space domain.
