Army to prioritize counterspace tech in future budget requests

Mikayla Easley

Source Link

1st Space Brigade soldiers observe a U.S. Army Ranger raid during a large-scale combat scenario at the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Capabilities Exercise 2024 at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, April 5-12, 2024. The exercise demonstrated how Army space operations integrate with cyber and special operation forces partners to enable the warfighter on the ground. (U.S. Army photo by Brooke Nevins)

As the Army continues efforts to strengthen operations in the space domain, the service will begin prioritizing new counterspace capabilities in its budget requests beginning in fiscal 2027, according to a senior official.

“This year during program budget review, we included counterspace capabilities for the first time in our strategic priority list,” Col. Peter Atkinson, principal space advisor at the Department of the Army, said Wednesday during the annual AUSA conference. “That’s the Army prioritizing how important these consequential capabilities are in making sure that they get the requisite resources.”

Since the establishment of the Space Force in 2019, Army Space and Missile Defense Command has worked to redefine how it operates in space to focus more on providing critical capabilities tailored to the service’s specific missions.

As part of its 2024 Space Vision, the Army highlights two new mission areas — integrating space capabilities that can be provided to the joint force or coalition partners, and interdicting adversaries from weaponizing the space domain.

Atkinson emphasized that the service’s interdiction mission is “ubiquitous” with counterspace, which broadly means offensive or defensive operations that disrupt or deny an adversary’s use of space-based assets and capabilities.

“What it’s getting at is counter-satellite communications, counter-surveillance and reconnaissance, and navigation warfare,” he said. “How do we protect friendly forces from threats emanating from the air and space domains? It’s really important for the Army. No one service has a monopoly on protection. We have to protect ourselves.”