Space Power Integration: Perspectives from Space Weapons Officers, Counterspace Operations, Space Warfare, Air and Space Power

This Air Force book provides an in-depth discussion of the integration of space operations to support the war fighter.

The chapters in Space Power Integration address issues across a spectrum of air- and space-integration topics at the operational level of war. Several studies argue that current space doctrine regarding organization and command relationships needs to be revised, with recommendations ranging from subtle modifications to paradigm-changing constructs. It is important to note that a major revision to Air Force Doctrine Document (AFDD) 2-2, Space Operations, was in process at the time of the conference and during the preparation of this book. As such, many of the fundamental arguments about organizing space forces to best support the theater joint force commander may have been addressed within doctrine. Doctrine does not and cannot provide extensive implementation guidance and direction; therefore, Space Power Integration provides some perspectives from space operators who have had direct responsibilities for integrating air and space power at the operational level of war.

Space Power Integration begins with a chapter providing a space-power framework and a recommendation for how the space-coordinating authority should enable unity of effort for diverse information services from space. The next chapter builds upon that background by discussing the importance of counter-space operations and how they are needed to support counter-terrorism. Background information in the early chapters helps the nonspace operator put the remaining chapters in better context. The following six chapters discuss various perspectives on problems due to the current command and control (C2) of deployed space forces' organizational models. Some overlap of ideas is present, and no attempt was made to remove this overlap during the development of Space Power Integration. Rather, this overlap serves to identify areas of consensus. Conversely, the areas of conflicting observations and recommendations highlight the difficulty of reaching a common understanding on such a complicated subject. The final study was the last presentation of the conference, and rather than focus on the organizational charts and C2 relationships that should or should not be in the doctrine, the author takes a very personal perspective on what problems he has experienced, what he believes are the fundamental root causes, and specific recommendations to address those issues.

Contents: Chapter 1 - Space Coordinating Authority, Information Services from Space * Chapter 2 - Oriented Toward Superiority, Counterspace Operations and the Counterterrorism Fight * Chapter 3 - It Isn't Space, It's Warfare! Joint Warfighting Space and the Command and Control of Deployable Space Forces * Chapter 4 - Space Expeditionary Power, A Polemic Strategy for Space Forces Integration * Chapter 5 - Theater Space Operations in a Warfighting Headquarters * Chapter 6 - The Next Evolution for Theater Space Organizations, Specializing for Space Control * Chapter 7 - Applying Air Mobility Lessons Learned to Space C2 * Chapter 8 - Counterspace Command and Control, Looking to History for Advice * Chapter 9 - Bridging the Gap, Five Observations on Air and Space Integration