The Pentagon is actively changing its strategy in the field of space intelligence, moving from the use of only ultra-expensive secret satellites to the large-scale involvement of the commercial sector. This initiative is coordinated primarily through the National Office of Military Space Intelligence (NRO) and the US Space Force.
Key areas of the new strategy
Hybrid architecture: The US Department of Defense is looking to connect government satellites “higher echelon” with huge constellations of commercial vehicles. This provides resistance: if the enemy shoots down one secret companion, a network of hundreds of small commercials will continue to transmit data.
Project “Commercial Electro-Optical Capabilities” (ECSC): NRO has already signed multi-billion dollar contracts with such companies, Yak Makhar, BlackSky та Planet Labs. This is the largest purchase of commercial satellite imagery in history.
Data refresh rate: Traditional military satellites rarely fly over the target. Commercial networks allow snapshots of a single point every few hours or even minutes, which is critical for tracking the movement of equipment in real time.
Lessons from the war in Ukraine: Experience has shown, that commercial satellite imagery and communications (such as Starlink) can radically change the course of hostilities, at the same time, it is more difficult to disable them completely.
Cost reduction: Thanks to SpaceX's reusable rockets, launching satellites has become many times cheaper, which allowed private companies to create their own orbital groupings.
Artificial intelligence: The volume of data from thousands of satellites is so large, that the Pentagon is investing in AI algorithms, which automatically recognize tanks, Air defense or shifts at airfields without human intervention.
Comparison of approaches:
|
Characteristic |
Traditional military satellites |
A new commercial approach |
|
Number |
Units (very expensive) |
Hundreds and thousands (cheap) |
|
Privacy |
Maximum |
Data can be shared with allies |
|
Replacement speed |
Years of development |
months (serial production) |
|
Accessibility |
For higher command only |
Available even to tactical units |
The new strategy of the Pentagon provides, that in the future even an ordinary soldier on the battlefield will be able to receive operational intelligence directly on his tablet thanks to commercial networks.
Source: https://spacenews.com