U.S. Pushes Military Cooperation in Space
U.S. attempts to foster closer military integration among allies are extending into space. The U.S.
military wants allies to train and plan together for space operations, in the same way that they already do in ground, air and naval combat, Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, said in an interview. The move comes amid concerns about China and Russia’s ability to disrupt the West’s satellites and new technology the two countries have developed, including satellites that can grab others.
Russia, for instance, has conducted operations to disrupt Ukraine’s space-enabled communications. “The conflict in Ukraine has made it clear: access to, and use of, space is fundamental to modern war," said Saltzman, who has recently held a series of meetings with European counterparts to push the case for greater cooperation. Saltzman said the aim was to have shared interoperability among allies, and to jointly train and develop tactics, techniques and procedures that exist for ground, air and sea combat forces.
“When you get to integration [among allies], you are at a whole different place, rather than merely coordinating," Saltzman said. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year has led to increased coordination between North Atlantic Treaty Organization members, and other traditional U.S. allies, in providing Kyiv with weaponry and training.
The U.S. has also been trying to build a coalition with allies including Japan and Australia to potentially confront China as it becomes more assertive in the Pacific. There is already some military coordination in space, including shared satellite launches and NATO space centers in Germany and France.
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