When Space Force leaders discuss resilience, they emphasize proliferation – distributing capabilities across large constellations of small satellites to deter adversaries from disrupting U.S. operations. This strategy is central to the Space Development Agency’s multi-layered Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, aiming to deploy hundreds of communication and missile tracking satellites by 2026.
Aside from proliferation, the Space Force focuses on equipping satellites and ground systems with sensors and cybersecurity features to detect and protect against threats. The Enterprise Resilience Board, a panel of acquisition experts within Space Systems Command, determines protective measures and ensures that purchased capabilities meet resilience-related requirements.
The Defense Department has increasingly prioritized space system resilience in response to heightened aggression from Russia and China. The Space Force is particularly focused on ensuring its systems can operate through disruption in light of potential threats, like a Chinese invasion of Taiwan by 2027. Gen. Stephen Whiting of U.S. Space Command underscores space system survivability and resilience as a top readiness priority for the near future.
The Enterprise Resilience Board addresses classified protection measures, such as anti-jam capabilities and space domain awareness sensors, to enhance resiliency. While progress has been made in identifying these measures, implementing them, especially for early-stage programs, takes time. The challenge of limited team members with high security clearances is also addressed by the board, offering expertise to aid in these efforts. Col. Bryon McClain highlights the board’s role in enhancing resilience across entire mission areas, not just individual programs.
