Ursa Major’s Post

The U.S. Space Force will officially activate its component for Europe and Africa in just over a month, U.S. European Command said Oct. 31. U.S. Space Forces Europe and Africa, which will be dubbed SPACE-EURAF, will stand up Dec. 8, U.S. European Command (EUCOM) said in a news release. It will become the fourth Space Force component embedded in one of the U.S. military’s regional commands, joining U.S. Central Command, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and U.S. Forces Korea. As things stand now, America’s current space capabilities in Europe are nestled under the air component, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). That model dates back to before the Space Force became an independent service. Giving the Space Force its own components elevates the service to put it on par with other branches and allows the USSF to better provide space capabilities to combatant commanders, service officials say. “The activation of Space Forces Europe and Africa is a significant milestone in the journey to fortify joint space capabilities within Europe and Africa,” EUCOM said in a statement. U.S. Space Forces Europe and Africa “will support a wide range of missions, including deterring potential adversaries, responding to crises, and strengthening our alliances and partnerships,” EUCOM added in its release. Many nations in Europe already have a long history of civilian space operations and have put a focus on building up their military space capabilities. Space Force Col. Max Lantz, who already heads up the space portfolio in USAFE-AFAFRICA, will become SPACE-EURAF’s inaugural commander. Both U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command are located in Germany, and SPACE-EURAF will not solely focus on Europe. “In the case of Europe, we’re just taking advantage of the fact that USAFE is also the Africa Command support,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman explained at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in September. “Because it’s all done from the same location, it’s easy for us to leverage that same construct and really get a two-for-one, to some degree.” #SpaceForce #Europe #Africa #Component

This recent analysis of Russian aerospace shortcomings offers vital insights for NATO and U.S. aerospace doctrine specialists. Although a minor point, it also underscores the prescience of the U.S. in establishing the Space Force, recognizing that historic Air Force ties to the Army could have stifled aerospace dominance. The beginning of the article highlights a stark divergence in warfare perspectives between airmen and army ground forces—a divergence equally applicable to space. The Russian model, entrenched in terrestrial defense paradigms, cannot grasp the strategic expanses of air and space. This same principle applies to the Space Force; its Guardians must be empowered to envision and achieve space supremacy with a focused doctrine. Just as the Air Force declared its independence in 1947 to harness air power fully, the Space Force must now forge its path for space power. Without this doctrinal independence, we risk blunting the strategic edge that space dominance requires. #airforce

The #Argentine Air Force 🇦🇷should take a cue from #Brazil and appoint an officer for diplomatic and strategic purposes, especially given years of neglect under the populist Kirchnerismo administration that have diminished our country's diplomatic and strategic capabilities. Just as the U.S. Space Command and the Brazilian Air Force recently signed an arrangement to assign a Brazilian liaison officer to #USSPACECOM on April 11, 2024, Argentina should similarly bolster its military partnerships and enhance its diplomatic and strategic prowess. During Space Symposium 39 in Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Brian Gibson, USSPACECOM director of strategy, plans and policy, and Maj. Gen. Eric Cólen, Brazilian Space Operations Center commander, inked the agreement, signaling a commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation. By appointing a liaison officer, #Argentina could not only deepen its ties with allies but also provide valuable expertise and insights to #USSPACECOM, facilitate communication between #Argentine🇦🇷 and #US🇺🇸 space units, support partnership opportunities, and foster mutually beneficial defense cooperation between the two nations. 🛰️🇦🇷🤝🇺🇸📡

🔔 A new edition of #CSSAnalyses in Security Policy is out now! 🔔 In this analysis, CSS Researcher Sarah S. Wiedemar delves into the militarization of space. "The exploitation of space today is increasingly driven by the innovations of private actors. Confronted with Russia’s military aggression, Ukraine showed how nations with little or no space capabilities can leverage commercial space infrastructure for combat. The massive reliance on commercial actors to provide vital support for Ukraine’s military operations suggests a new round of the militarization of space, one that private actors increasingly dominate." Sarah Wiedemar #SpaceMilitarization #CSSAnalyses #SecurityPolicy Read the full analysis by clicking the link below ⬇ https://lnkd.in/g2KcsStb

While progress has been made... top brass from Europe’s four largest military space operators say there is still a ways to go in working out how Europe and the United States will jointly respond to growing threats from Russia and China.

Great to see Breaking Defense and Brig. Gen. Mastalir, Commander, U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific, highlight the pivotal work SDA is doing to enable Link-16 capability from space! Expanding tactical data link operations to space is necessary to ensure the Combatant Commands have the resources necessary to support operations and the warfighter. “We’ve already demonstrated the ability to transmit Link-16 tactical data lines from space and we’re doing those demonstrations with [the Pacific] Fleet in the Indo-Pacific AOR [Area of Responsibility],” Brig. Gen. Anthony Mastalir said in answer to a question from Breaking Defense. “It’s going to be a game changer.” Link 16 is a tactical datalink communication system used by the United States, NATO, and coalition forces to transmit and exchange real-time situational awareness data among all network participants. To read more about Link-16 and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command's top priorities, check out the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gZiShBYk #SemperCitius #PWSA #Link16 #Defense #USSF #Satellites

Pentagon unveils arctic strategy bolstered by new high north NATO allies Finland, Sweden - Breaking Defense "“The Arctic NATO Allies posses highly capable militaries, and thanks to longstanding cooperation, are all highly interoperable,” according to the strategy. “NATO’s enlargement, in addition to increasing Nordic defense cooperation, will create new opportunities for combined planning, information sharing, and exercises that will expand regional collaboration.” Arctic security is a growing area of concern. Calian Group delivers a wide range of defence, cyber and space services and solutions for the Canadian Armed Forces | Forces armées canadiennes and NATO including the NATO Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger, Norway just below the Arctic Circle. We provide ground installations for satcom for extreme hot and cold environments, deliver deep space radar capability, provide satellite flight operations, and manufacture and test components for military equipment. Learn more about us @https://lnkd.in/ev44t2KM #defence #defense #arctic #highnorth #nato #arcticdefence #militarytraining Note: Articles posted or shared on this Calian Defence Solutions site are for informational purposes only. Any views or opinions expressed herein are those of the articles’ authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Calian Group. https://hubs.li/Q02JJWcy0

The United States Marine Corps and United States Space Force are "perfectly suited to leverage each other’s unique capabilities to cover existing limitations and become a critical component of the JTF (Joint Task Force)" operating within U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) to create the desired "kill webs for the rapid identification and selection of assets for tasking and re-tasking within and across military boundaries from disaggregated or distributed forces." The next step is integration to maximize both sets of capabilities. Takeaways: (1) #China 🇨🇳 is seen as a near-peer competitor and pacing threat (2) #Economics factors into this, too, as freedom of movement and protection of modern democratic capitalist allies (3) Marines enabled by #space based resources add significantly to deterrence. I'm "scared" just writing about it (Oorah!) (4) Integration of space, counterspace, cyber, electronic, and informational warfare capabilities with each other, and #artificialintelligence is happening. (5) Budget lines for the #USMC and #SpaceForce will increase over the next 3yrs as they purchase more and put into action #spaceindustry tech in prep -GSP-

We are thrilled to announce our recent award of a US Space Force Phase I SBIR! This project will focus on optimizing space-related logistics applications, such as launch scheduling and mission planning. With this opportunity, we're set to deploy our state-of-the-art technology to elevate efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring our armed forces have the most advanced support tools at their disposal. Follow our progress as we embark on this transformative journey to redefine military logistics! Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government. #sbir #spaceforce #memcomputing #innovativetechnology

Communication works for those who work at it. This past week, I had the unique opportunity to sit among the very best. 💡 On the historic grounds of the Citadel of Lille 🇫🇷, and under Mr. Jay Janzen's guidance, I felt honored to represent STRIKFORNATO | Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO at the latest NATO Strategic Communications Workshop. Here, the four corners of the Alliance converged at the table to harmonize the voices of 31 nations that envision a shared, secure future under the blue flag. 🤝 💬 Two of the key points on the agenda were: 📌 #SteadfastDefender24 🛡: happening right now across a massive geographical area in and around Europe, it is the grandest exercise in over 35 years and stands as a remarkable testament to NATO’s Deterrence & Defence posture and ability to operate across all environments and spheres of warfare. 📌 #SteadfastJupiter23 👨💻: executed last year, this exercise enabled an unprecedented level of interoperability across the NATO enterprise. It contributed to demonstrate and develop the seamless integration of multi-domain capabilities that Allies can bring to defend more than 1️⃣ billion citizens from seabed to space. I began my journey at #STRIKFORNATO's exceptional mission just over a year ago. Under the leadership of Rear Admiral James Morley, I've had the extraordinary chance to participate in exercises such as #FormidableShield23 🚀, #BALTOPS23 🌊, and four iterations of the enhanced Vigilance Activity #NeptuneStrike 🔱 - a tangible demonstration of the unrivaled capability of the NATO Alliance to integrate the incommensurable power of Carrier Strike Groups to support the defense of every inch of Allied territory. The main lesson learned was always the crucial insight that maintaining Peace and responding effectively to crises hinge on the core principles of solidarity and collaboration, tenets that are widely shared across the 31 Allies that chose the path of collective security. 🌐   Therefore, and although telling the story of the most successful Alliance in History is a formidable task, it has never been more imperative. One thing is certain - from Helsinki to Ankara, from the sea floor to the Kármán line, NATO stands ready to #DefendTonight. PS: Merci, Ted Odolant, for sharing your marvellous, contagious passion. I certainly returned to Portugal 🇵🇹 with much more than what I left with. #WeAreNATO