Douglas A. Birkey and Charles Galbreath
America faces the most severe security environment seen since World War II, and U.S. military leaders are working aggressively to develop new strategies, operational concepts, and technologies in response. As these efforts advance, it is imperative that new ideas and concepts be validated, designed with ample resilience and be flexible enough to adjust to dynamic operations.
Part of our military’s job is to make the job of adversaries harder, presenting dilemmas that ultimately deter them from risking conflict. Possessing capabilities in multiple domains enhances deterrence by ensuring adversaries have no easy switch to counter U.S. forces. Yet budget pressures increasingly push leaders toward single-domain solutions, a risk that is especially great as some missions move from air to space. It is time to reassess these in favor of the multi-domain approach.
Make no mistake: The growth of space-based technology is among the most transformative developments in the modern era. The integration of space capabilities into joint operations over the past three decades has made the United States military more lethal, effective, and efficient. Continued transformation opportunities remain, especially in command and control (C2); intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); and electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO).
Missions that previously took days to execute when relying on airborne solutions can now be accomplished almost instantaneously from space. This includes operating over some of the most heavily defended regions on the globe—zones that would be off-limits for nearly any other military technology.
This is why so many missions have migrated to space. In the wake of the Cold War, ISR aircraft like the famed SR-71 retired in 1990 were replaced by satellites in orbit; more recently, Air Force leaders retired the E-8 JSTARS, betting that a space-based ground-moving target indicator battle management solution could replace it. More mission migration from air to space is in the works.
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