21 January 2026 2015, US Space Force Deputy Chief of Space Operations General Sean Bratton spoke at the event, organized by the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center and SpaceNews, with a speech on rethinking the role of the space service as part of the US joint forces.
The sixth and newest type of the US Armed Forces, generated 20 December 2019 year, currently has approx 10 000 servicemen and approx 5 000 civilian employees. In his speech, General Bratton emphasized the need to double the number of people in the next five to ten years, citing growing operational requirements and the need for additional infrastructure to support them.
For decades, the military viewed space primarily as a support function, responsible for the operation of satellites, which provide GPS, communication and warning about missile launches. As of today, this model is changing, as potential adversaries expand their own space-based surveillance and guidance systems. General Bratton noted, that change does not occur only at the initiative of the Cosmic forces themselves, but also under the pressure of other types of troops. Navy and ground commanders are becoming increasingly aware, how vulnerable their forces are to observation from orbit. This pressure reflects the awareness that, that satellites have become an integral part of warfare. The ability of adversaries to use space systems to detect ships at sea or track troop movements has planners thinking, how these systems can be disrupted in conflict.
The Pentagon is now focused on more than just protecting US space assets from jamming or attack, but also on depriving adversaries of access to their own space capabilities if necessary. This approach requires close coordination within the joint forces. In order to better integrate space operations into combat planning, Space forces create their components within combatant commands. Thanks to this, a clearer picture of what will be formed, how space capabilities will be used together with air capabilities, by land and sea forces during the conflict.
A long-term planning initiative called the Objective Forces Study is currently underway, led by the Center for Space Warfare Analysis. As part of the study, an internal assessment is carried out, what the Space Forces should become in the next 15 years. Unlike traditional planning processes, tied to specific programs or budgets, this study focuses on future missions and operating conditions. The service is analyzing, exactly what capabilities will be required and how to organize forces to support operations in a contested space environment.
One of the spheres, which is gaining more and more importance, there is a cislunar region - a huge space between the Earth and the Moon. Since the US, their allies and competitors are expanding lunar exploration and infrastructure there, this region is becoming strategically important. From a military point of view, operations in cislunar space may affect missile warnings, space surveillance and protection of satellites, that work far from Earth, where monitoring and defense are much more difficult. Space powers also keep a close eye on commercial activities. With the growing activity of private companies and international partners around the Moon, the service is assessing the implications for national security.
Another concept, shaping the future of the service, there is "dynamic space operations" - a phrase, used by the US Space Command to describe a deviation from the expected, fixed orbits of satellites. Traditionally, satellites stay in the same orbits for years, which makes it easier to track and target them. Dynamic operations involve maneuverability, allowing vehicles to change position or mission in response to threats.
One of the most discussed ideas today is the refueling of satellites in orbit, which can extend the service life of the devices and allow multiple maneuvers. According to the Deputy Chief of Space Operations, refueling does not provide the same operational advantages in space, as for airplanes. The satellites continue to rotate regardless of the fuel level. This can save you a lot of money, what is the reason to do it, however, from a military point of view, the advantages have not yet been proven in combat simulations. One of the problems is that, that new infrastructure adds new vulnerabilities.
Currently, the leadership of the Space Force is focused on current requirements and the need to ensure space superiority. At the same time, in his speech, General Bratton declared, that as satellites become central to modern warfare, The US space force is preparing for a much larger role and presence in the coming years.
Source: https://spacenews.com