Remarks by Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman at the USGIF GEOINT Symposium Published May 22, 2025 Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs St. Louis, Mo. (AFNS) -- As delivered by U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman on May 21, 2025. Thank you for having me! You know, the last time I spoke at a GEOINT Symposium, it was April 2022. Russia had demonstrated an antisatellite capability, and China had tested a hypersonic glide vehicle. Later that year, I was promoted to Chief of Space Operations… and—just like magic—all that bad behavior STOPPED… I’m just sayin’. Seriously, though, so much has happened in the last three years, and there’s no sign of a slowdown. So, I’m really excited to have this opportunity to speak with such an important audience. But first, let me start by thanking Ronda Schrenk and Robert Cardillo for inviting me. Thanks to Sue Gordon for moderating. And thanks to the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation as a whole for sponsoring this event. The world of GEOINT is evolving rapidly—every day, we see new requirements, new technology, new challenges. That’s why it’s so important to get together like this. To talk and, more importantly, to listen to each other. That’s why it’s such a pleasure to be here today with so many friends from across the GEOINT community. In particular, I want to recognize Vice Admiral Whitworth. NGA has been a wonderful partner to the Space Force. And as Director, I’ve appreciated Trey’s expertise as an Intelligence Officer and his deep passion for GEOINT. He is immensely proud of the work that NGA and its partners have done, and he has every right to be. On that note, let me congratulate NGA on the construction of its new campus! Next NGA West will provide an exceptional platform for partnership and collaboration long into the future. You know, I’ve had the opportunity to work across the Interagency for many years, including as Commander of the Aerospace Data Facility in Colorado. And to some degree, I was trained in GEOINT by NIMA at Sunnyvale. So I’ve worked hand-in-glove with GEOINT professionals. There is great power in people from different organizations sitting side-by-side in pursuit of the same mission. When you break down the barriers between organizations—when you set aside tribalism and organizational orthodoxy—what you’re left with is singular focus on mission... and the creative solutions that focus inspires. It doesn’t matter if your badge reads Space Force, Air Force, NGA, NRO, or whatever else… all that matters is that you have a job to do, and that job is delivering quality Intelligence to the customer. Collaboration across agencies is vital… it’s the key to solving problems bigger than any single entity could solve alone. That’s why I’m excited for the unveiling of Next NGA West, and I have no doubt that we’ll all be better for it. As a student of History, I also have to take a moment to applaud the choice of St. Louis as the campus’ home. After all, NGA’s history in the city dates back to WWII, when the Army Map Service opened its doors at the St. Louis Arsenal. The Map Service was the Department of Defense’s military cartographic agency from World War Two until 1968. For decades, it compiled, published, and distributed topographical maps and related materials for use by the U.S. Armed Forces… including on D-Day and during the Korean War. It might surprise you to learn that the Army Map Service even supported space exploration. It mapped the moon for use during the Apollo missions, and it contributed to the development of our modern GPS system, which remains a critical Space Force mission to this day. Of course, the NGA of today is worlds apart from the Army Map Service. But it goes to show that the ties between NGA and the Space Force reach back to our nation’s earliest days operating in the space domain… long before either of us existed in our current incarnation. So, the Space Force is excited to partner with NGA as it takes the next step forward in its evolution here in St. Louis—the place where its journey began. The thing about a journey, though, is that it is occasionally wise to pause and take stock of the landscape around you… to reflect on the road you’ve traveled. This is a subject that I am intimately familiar with because the Space Force is still in the middle of its own transformation journey. A little over five years ago, we didn’t have a military service dedicated to space… and now we do. That simple fact has driven a tidal wave of change across the national security space enterprise. It’s forced us to define ourselves and to redefine the way we relate to others. In much the same way that NGA is not the Army Map Service, even if it builds off its legacy, the Space Force is not Air Force Space Command. And that means that each of us—everyone with a stake in national security—needs to recognize the new paradigm, reexamine old ways of doing business, and redetermine how all the pieces fit together. Fortunately, there are some things that are simple to understand… like why we exist. A military service is an organization dedicated to achieving superiority in its assigned domain. This is a complex enterprise, and it requires uniquely trained personnel, specialized equipment, and tailor-made operational concepts. So, as our starting point, we can say that the Space Force’s formative purpose is Space Superiority. Said another way, it is our job to contest and control the space domain—to fight and win so that we assure freedom of action for our forces while denying the same to our adversaries. Doing so in the face of competition, crisis, and conflict requires a purpose-built organization with the capability and readiness to direct military force in, from, and to space to secure our nation’s interests. This fact shapes all of the Space Force’s effort because it’s not enough to just deliver services from orbit anymore. It has been many years since we had the luxury of thinking of space as a sanctuary… Today, we must be ready to fight for our domain—to overcome threats and outwit a thinking opponent. Space Superiority is the reason we exist as an organization, and it informs everything we do as a military service. But defining the Space Force’s purpose—while an important step—is just the first step. An equally important question is this: “How does the Space Force fit in the larger interagency?” Fortunately, some of the answers to that are also clear. Take Space Command as an example. The relationship between Combatant Commands and military services has been enshrined in law since 1986. The Space Force presents military forces to Combatant Commanders and executes warfighting operations under their authority, General Whiting chief among them for space. So, even though people love to ask me when I’m moving to Huntsville, there’s a very clear dividing line between the Space Force and Space Command. In other cases, it’s not so clear, which only makes it more critical that we reach common understanding across the community. For example, the Space Force is the 18th member of the Intelligence Community, which means we have both Title 10 and Title 50 responsibilities. The Space Superiority mission makes our Title 10 responsibilities fairly clear, but our relationship with organizations like the NRO or NGA is more of a work in progress. And we owe it to ourselves and others to clarify this because ambiguity benefits no one. We live in a fiscally constrained environment—we already have more mission than we have resources to accomplish them. So, it is the responsibility of the Interagency to eliminate redundancy wherever possible… but we also have to close gaps. Now, while the Space Force is the new kid on the block, I’m a big believer in the phrase: “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” For years, the NRO has used satellites to collect imagery and signals intelligence, and NGA has analyzed data across all sources to produce exquisite intelligence products. Once upon a time, the Army Map Service motto was, "An Army without maps is an Army without eyes." Now more than ever, the Space Force needs the “eyes” of NGA and our IC partners. Space Superiority requires an extraordinary degree of trust, coordination, and shared commitment across organizations, commercial entities, and allied nations. Without their cooperation, we cannot achieve our objectives as rapidly and effectively as the security environment demands. Let me assure you, the Space Force has no desire to duplicate existing Intelligence efforts, and we lack the depth and breadth of experience with which to do so. It makes so much more sense for us to align our efforts so that they complement the work that NGA and the NRO have done rather than attempt to replicate it. Why build a redundant capability when you can just invest in enhancing the one you already have? It’s so much more cost-effective. It has the added benefit of building teamwork from the ground up. The space domain is only getting more congested… more contested… more complicated and challenging. It is our duty as stewards of the taxpayer dollar and of the trust of the American people to focus on our respective missions. NRO and NGA provide the pipeline for space-based intelligence products. Good, we need that! So, then, what is the gap that the Space Force fills? For me, it comes back to Space Superiority—our formative purpose. Once we have control of the domain, it’s our job to enable freedom of access for our forces on the land, at sea, or in the air. This is different from intelligence, which is collected using a range of sources, analyzed, and assessed into robust and rigorous output. What I’m talking about here is providing insights and awareness for commanders on the ground to use as a resource for tactical planning and tactical decision making. By definition, these efforts will often lack analytical rigor or application of intelligence tradecraft. Our focus is on speed not resolution… on breadth not depth. Likewise, as a member of the Combined Force, the Space Force has a particular responsibility to share these products with our allies and partners. That requires fully releasable information with far different needs to protect sources or methods. We are placing a priority on “need to share” rather than “need to know.” That’s a fundamental shift in our thinking, and it will drive changes in the way we do business. Of course, to do this right, we must take care not to interfere with NGA’s responsibilities as the GEOINT Functional Manager but rather to complement them, delivering supporting fires in the information domain. In my estimation, geographic domains are large and complex… in fact, far too large for any single organization to have all the answers for operating within them. Why shouldn’t the same hold true for conceptual domains? Difference of perspective in shared conditions allows for diversity of thought, which creates strategic resilience. Many organizations have overlapping interests, but they each pursue a unique and particular purpose—a dedicated focus that sets one apart from another. Just a few weeks ago, the Army announced a new enlisted career field for military space operations, and I understand why. We have so much to do in space across all the Joint Force. We need more people carrying the load, not fewer, and we need to create opportunities that allow all of us to achieve our assigned missions. The real requirement, here, is that we be clear about how we relate to each other—that we understand our respective strengths and weaknesses and support each other accordingly. Now, I know there are many people from Industry here in the audience, and I’d like to believe you found this discussion interesting, if not immediately relevant. Why should interagency roles and relationships matter to those on the outside? Well, the reality is that the different missions that we each pursue—our different focuses—drive each of our organizations to value different things. The technology we need to support Space Force missions is different from the technology the NGA or the NRO need to support robust intelligence gathering, analysis, and dissemination. We are going to invest in different capability sets, and we are going to assess their utility according to our objectives rather than to those of our partners. We will have different concepts, different requirements, different standards for verification and validation. That means industry needs to understand what the Space Force needs… and how that differs from what the NRO needs or from what NGA needs. Obviously, there will be overlaps, but, if we drive towards a narrow and parochial view of operational concepts, then we will lose the innovation and creativity that have made us successful up to this point. I think we can do better. We just have to think bigger. We need synergy, not redundancy. If we do things the way we always have, we’ll get the results we’ve always gotten. The security environment has changed, and we need to keep pace with it. The creative force that powers Industry is one of the single greatest advantages our nation has. We need to do a better job harnessing that power across all domains. Now, the Space Force is trying to do more and more in this regard. To illustrate, let me give you some examples of what we’re looking to do and the kinds of missions in which we need your help. I have spoken about it a lot, recently, but I am incredibly proud of the work that Space Systems Command has done to bring the Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking program online. Time and again, from South America to Africa, I hear stories from Combatant Commanders about how much value they derive from TacSRT products. The Space Force has created a marketplace for our Service Components to procure commercial support for specific mission needs. We’re talking here about leveraging non-Governmental sensors and data fusion to integrate publicly available information into fully releasable planning products—things we can freely give to uncleared allies and partners. This is an incredible tool, both for making decisions but also for building relationships and trust. So, it should be no surprise that Space SOUTH is the single biggest customer of TacSRT of any Space Force Service Component. Colombia might not be able to ask for intelligence to support disaster relief efforts when landslides destroy homes and villages… but now they can ask their friendly neighborhood Space Force liaison for assistance. Since its inception, TacSRT supported a safe withdrawal from Air Base 201 in Niger, guided relief efforts for flooding in Brazil, and countered malign influence denying PeruSAT. None of this replaces traditional Intelligence, of course, but it supplements it with tactical insight and near real-time unclassified awareness. To continue to do this effectively requires close collaboration with NGA. I’m proud to say that we are doing that now and getting better all the time. By formally clarifying each of our roles and responsibilities, we collectively strengthen our ability to support the Joint Force. In the end, Space Force and NGA capabilities will complement each other for the good of the nation. In a similar vein, we are partnering with the NRO to acquire Ground Moving Target Indicator capability. The Space Force will operate GMTI as an application of its Global Mission Operations core function, enabling Combined Force lethality and closing long range kill chains as part of our Title 10 responsibilities. Here again, the principle is clear—there may be overlaps in technologies, domains, or interest, but it’s the unique focus of each stakeholder that clarifies its lane in the road. It is the Space Force’s job to achieve Space Superiority and to provide space effects for the Joint Force. To do that well, we depend upon the contributions of our IC partners to make it happen. In the same way, we will lend our time and talent—especially our Guardians—to our IC brethren to help them achieve their own objectives. While we still have work to go documenting and clarifying the full breadth of our respective roles and responsibilities across the Interagency, we certainly have enough of a common understanding upon which to build. Thankfully, we’ve made tremendous progress in this regard in just the last few years! The Space Force, NRO, and NGA are each putting in place the programmatic structures to jointly buy capability, to govern those capabilities in support of each other, and to distribute data for maximum effect. We’ve developed a Tri-Seal Strategic Framework for Commercial Space Protection. We’re also putting in place a mechanism for the NRO and the Space Force’s Commercial Space Office to utilize each other’s contracts to accelerate support to the warfighter. This is a new way of doing business that completely sidesteps previous institutional barriers. My hope is that this will just be the first of many such efforts. A few weeks ago, Maj. Gen. Gagnon, the Space Force’s senior Intelligence Officer, gave me a glowing report on the partnership between the Space Force and NGA in Dayton. The commander of the National Space Intelligence Center and his NGA counterpart have worked tirelessly to forge an Interagency team that punches far above its weight. When it comes to space domain awareness, we could ask for no better partner than NGA. Likewise, the Joint Mission Management Center has just reached initial operational capability. There are Guardians on the floor, sitting side-by-side with their interagency counterparts just like I did all those years ago at Sunnyvale. If we’re going to ensure the continued prosperity and security of our nation, we have to align behind a whole of government effort—each of us contributing what we can, closing gaps and eliminating redundancies. In the future, I have a vision where we have a seamless integration of capability, regardless of the badge we wear, and our institutions and processes will be integrated by design. And we will have industry and commercial enterprise at our backs, building the tailored tools we need to keep our warfighters safe, secure, and lethal. Until then, we just have to keep moving forward. 2025 will continue to be a dynamic year—we need to keep talking, keep bringing each other along, and keep saving each other a seat at the table. In short, we need teamwork. A partnership able to break through any wall that might get in our way. We are all playing for the same team. We all have the same ultimate objective of securing our nation’s interests. The failure of one of us is the failure of all, and our success can only be measured by the degree to which it is shared. So, let me close by saying again thank you. Thank you to NGA, NRO, and our Intelligence Community partners everywhere for supporting us in our pursuit of a safe, secure, and stable space domain. Thank you to all stakeholders in the GEOINT enterprise. We need your help, now more than ever, to deliver support to the warfighter—timely, tactical, and on target. Thank you to our industry partners. Your innovation and passion are critical to our long-term technical advantage. And finally, thank you to everyone in this audience, whatever you do. Thank you for your dedication to keeping our nation safe. As we say in the Space Force, Semper Supra!