WASHINGTON — In pointed remarks that emphasized the military nature of America’s newest service branch, the head of the U.S. Space Force called on its members to embrace their role as warriors in space.
Speaking March 3 at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Warfare Conference in Aurora, Colorado, Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, insisted that guardians — as Space Force personnel are known — must view themselves as war fighters on par with their counterparts in other military branches.
“We must think of space as a war fighting domain, rather than just a collection of support activities,” Saltzman said.
Saltzman’s remarks come in the wake of a recent report that called into question the Space Force’s “warfighting ethos,” suggesting the service has prioritized defensive satellite protection over developing offensive capabilities needed to deter adversaries.
Focus on space control
The ability to contest and dominate the domain during conflicts is what the Space Force strives for, he said.
“Space control is how the Space Force achieves space superiority,” Saltzman said, meaning the ability to contest and control the space domain during conflict, allowing the United States to operate without interference while denying adversaries the same advantage.
“Domain control is the special province of war fighters, a unique responsibility that only military services hold. It is the thing that distinguishes the Navy from the Merchant Marine and the Air Force from Southwest Airlines.”
Saltzman made clear this control function is what separates the Space Force from civilian space agencies, commercial satellite operators, and even the service’s own historical roots.
“It’s not enough to just deliver services from orbit anymore,” he said. “It’s not enough to monitor health and status in a benign environment, to design satellites to last in the harsh environment of space. While this is still necessary, it’s no longer sufficient.”
Space control capabilities would employ both kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary space systems through disruption, degradation, and potentially destruction if necessary, according to Saltzman. These capabilities could be used “for both offensive and defensive purposes at the direction of combatant commands.”
Saltzman noted that space control represents “a new function for our fledgling service” and identified it as his “number one priority” when speaking with executive and legislative leaders.
“Historically, we’ve avoided talking too much about space control,” he admitted. “But why would you have a military space service if not to execute space control? If we’re going to truly embrace our status as space war fighters, then we need to also embrace our fundamental responsibility for space control.”
He announced that the Space Force will soon publish new doctrine and guidance on space control, urging all guardians to read “Space Force doctrine document one” as soon as it becomes available.
Call for field innovation
While reinforcing the strategic direction, Saltzman also called on field units to take initiative rather than waiting for headquarters to solve all challenges related to training and readiness.
“At headquarters we are not living the mission day to day,” he noted. “The space staff simply does not have the same level of understanding, awareness or daily insight to direct the activities for readiness.”
While promising to continue development of better training systems, ranges and simulators, he challenged guardians: “You cannot afford to wait on the headquarters to deliver better answers. I need guardians in the field to find a way.”
The establishment of the Space Force in December 2019 was driven by concerns over growing threats in space, particularly from China and Russia, which have been developing counterspace weapons.
“We must be ready to contest and control our domain,” Saltzman concluded, “to overcome threats and outwit a thinking opponent, to build our systems to withstand a determined adversary — in short, to be space-minded war fighters.”
