S4S establishes strategic vision after first year of successes

Published Dec. 30, 2024
By Maj. Erin Leon, U.S. Space Forces-Space Public Affairs

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- On Dec. 6, 2023, U.S. Space Forces – Space stood up as the Space Force Service Component to U.S. Space Command.

Two men in military uniforms smile after cutting a ceremonial cake. — Spec. 3 Nicholas Schultz, Space Delta 5 missile defense and missile warning operator, cuts a birthday cake during a ceremony alongside U.S. Air Force Birg. Gen. Frank R. Kincaid, U.S. Space Forces – Space deputy commander, outside of S4S Headquarters at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. in celebration of S4S’s one-year anniversary, Dec. 6, 2024. It is a military tradition to have the most junior-ranking and most senior-ranking individuals at the ceremony to perform the cake cutting in unison. (U.S. Space Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Luke Kitterman)

The activation of S4S was part of U.S. Space Force’s plan to normalize the presentation of space forces across combatant commands and most efficiently meet the challenges presented by the dynamic national security environment and the return to Great Power Competition.

“It is the service component that writes tactics, builds CONOPs [Concept of Operations], and gains and maintains space superiority,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman. “Guardians are warfighters, not simply force providers.”

Building out these tactics, concepts and plans that enable the Space Force to gain and maintain space superiority takes time and effort, but the women and men of S4S have embraced the challenge.

“S4S harnesses the collective expertise of our military, civilians, and contractors to meet our warfighters’ needs, as well as protect U.S. and allied interests,” said Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess, S4S commander and Combined Joint Force Space Component commander. “We have grown, evolved, and achieved remarkable success over the past year because of your efforts.”

One example of the “remarkable success” the command has achieved is through the codifying of the inaugural Joint Space Operations Plan.

military servicemembers looking at computer screens — U.S. Army Capt. Dahlin Draper, special technical operations deputy chief, U.S. Navy Lt. Cdr. Thomas Kasmer, future operations planner, U.S. Space Force Sgt. Daniel Diaz, space battle manager, and Jonathan Shark, deputy director of training, observe computer screens at Schriever Space Force Base, Colo., May 10, 2024. Members of the National Space Defense Center demonstrated the ability to transmit tasks to U.S. Navy assets as part of the threat-focused space domain awareness mission. (U.S. Space Force photo by Dennis Rogers)

Two men work in a room designed to rest sound and radio waves. — Personnel from the Australian Joint Positioning, Navigation and Timing Directorate, Joint Capabilities Group and Joint Navigation Warfare Center align GPS test equipment in the JNWC anechoic chamber at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., in preparation for a GPS resilience test April 15, 2024. This combined effort not only enhances GPS navigation resilience but also exemplifies the power of international cooperation in addressing security threats. As the world faces evolving challenges, partnerships like these remain essential for maintaining an edge in contested environments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Spencer Kanar)

Global Sentinel kicks off, brings 25 nations together — Global Sentinel 24 participants collaborate at the capstone event at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., Feb. 6, 2024. Hosted by U.S. Space Command, the capstone and planning conference offeres representatives from partner nations come together annually to promote cooperation and safe, secure space operations. In addition to the United States, partner nations that attended included Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, Israel, Japan, Republic of Korea, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Thailand and Ukraine. (U.S. Space Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Luke Kitterman)

“The JSOP was built to conduct globally integrated operations across all domains,” said Lt. Col. Laurel Jodice, S4S Operational Planning director. “This is our plan for how we will protect against enemy actions and aggression in space; defend critical U.S., allied, partner, and commercial space capabilities; and deliver space capabilities and effects in coordination with national agencies, the Joint Force, allies and partners.”

This theme of “Protect – Defend – Deliver” is central to all S4S activities, but through Schiess’s role as the CJFSCC, the command also serves as a connection point with inter-agency organizations, commercial mission partners, and coalition partners.

A major milestone this year has been the expansion of the Department of Defense’s Operation Olympic Defender, which optimizes space operations, improves mission assurance and enhances collective resilience alongside participating nations.

Originally, allied participation in OOD was limited to Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. However, in September of this year, New Zealand announced their intent to join, with both France and Germany officially joining right after in October through formal accession ceremonies.

As the lead space operations integrators, it is the responsibility of S4S to ensure these new partners are meaningfully included in command processes.

“On 30 October, S4S conducted its first all-partners operations and intelligence brief,” said Jared Renne, S4S Strategic Engagements Division chief. “Insights gained and operations coordinated via this forum will posture the U.S. space apparatus to meet and overcome challenges posed in space by our adversaries and competitors, while achieving the intent of Operation Olympic Defender on behalf of the U.S. and our allies.”

Beyond coalition partner expansion, S4S has also been expanding its network of commercial mission partners and adjusting the support given by operations in order to make these partnerships more meaningful and impactful.

“The Commercial Integration Cell operations team at the CSpOC has reinvigorated efforts to operationalize the CIC capability moving it beyond the experimental concept from which it originated,” said Australian Royal Air Force Group Captain Julien Greening, Combined Space Operations Center deputy director. “The CIC operations team has grown to seven full-time military personnel including U.S. Navy joint members and a Royal Canadian Air Force exchange officer. This diverse operations team has worked to develop relationships with Commercial Mission Partners through collaborative engagements.”

This team helps to support an expanding network of 15 companies that enable real-time information flow at the top-secret level to help U.S. Space Command respond to space events and improve Space Domain Awareness.

Although a huge undertaking, these efforts to ‘Protect, Defend, Deliver and Connect’ are just scratching the surface of all S4S has accomplished in the command’s first year.

In a message to the force, Schiess outlined several other accomplishments including the first OOD Space Domain Awareness Concept of Operations, support to a variety of inter-agency, joint, commercial and coalition led exercises, the implementation of a combined National Space Defense Center and Combined Space Operations Center Master Space Plan, the monitoring of a 320% uptick in missile activity with 100% validation for all missile warning events, and the demonstration of new navigation warfare techniques to support force protection for U.S. and allied forces.

Schiess also expressed a desire to continue the momentum of this first year into the future through the implementation of a strategic vision and vision statement.

Strategic Vision: S4S is optimized to conduct global mission operations in Great Power Competition, possessing the partnerships, capabilities and authorities to provide dynamic, resolute support and assured space superiority to the Joint Force across multiple theaters of operation and the ability to ensure our freedom to operate in the space domain in defense of the nation, as well as our allies and partners.

Vision Statement: Assured global space effects anytime, anywhere, while denying our adversaries the same.

The strategic vision and vision statement serve as “guiding principles that provide purpose, foresight, and direction” Schiess said. This, along with the Guardian values and ideal posture S4S to continue to be a leader in integrating and innovating for operational success in the space domain.

“This vision represents the command’s deliberate purpose in Great Power Competition, which presents unprecedented challenges in our nation’s history,” Schiess said. “But it is the personnel assigned to S4S that continue to be the driving force behind our accomplishments. It is an honor to serve alongside so many dedicated, remarkable individuals.”