Space Command Gets New Mission Statement

U.S. Space Command announced today that it now has an approved campaign plan, which includes a new mission statement.  Deterring conflict, but defeating aggression if necessary, are its hallmarks.

U. S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) is one of the 11 unified combatant commands whose missions are warfighting.  They draw upon personnel and equipment from the six military services: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard.

USSPACECOM was reestablished by President Trump on August 29, 2019.  It existed from 1985-2002, but was abolished in a reorganization of combatant commands after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.  Its functions were transferred to U.S. Strategic Command and now are being separated again as concerns mount about counterspace efforts being pursued by Russia and China.

Commanded by Gen. John (Jay) Raymond, USSPACECOM is often confused with the U.S. Space Force, which Raymond also heads as Chief of Space Operations in the Air Force.

Today USSPACECOM announced that it has finalized its campaign plan that provides guidance on day-to-day operations, activities and investments.  As part of that, Raymond approved a new mission statement:

“To conduct operations in, from, and through space to deter conflict, and if necessary, defeat aggression, deliver space combat power for the Joint/Combined force, and defend U.S. vital interests with allies and partners.”  — New USSPACECOM Mission Statement

The old mission statement was:   “To deter conflict, defend U.S. and Allied freedom of action in space, deliver combat-relevant space capability to the joint/combined force, and develop space forces to advance U.S. and Allied interests in, through, and from the space domain.”

In an email, a spokesperson for USSPACECOM told SpacePolicyOnline.com that the wording change “is deliberate to reflect the shifting nature of the space domain. The aggressive behavior of our competitors and adversaries requires that the U.S. maintain a posture of preparedness to defeat threats if necessary.”

Raymond said in a press release that “U.S. space power and superiority is a critical enabler to the Joint force in protecting the homeland, fostering global security, and assuring allies. Space enables us to compete, deter and win. … The USSPACECOM focus is on warfighting. The new mission statement helps us concentrate our efforts on deterrence, knowing we must be ready and capable of defeating adversaries should our nation call upon us to do so. … The only way to ensure that we can defeat aggression is from a position of strength. And, space power is what enables the Joint force to achieve that.”

The campaign plan itself ensures that USSPACECOM  is “defending on-orbit and terrestrial capabilities, delivering uninterrupted global space effects to the warfighter, strengthening the collective security by building up partnerships and alliances, posturing to ensure readiness to respond with decisive combat operations, and developing ready and lethal Joint space warfighters.”

National security leaders often say they do not want war in space, but need to be prepared if a terrestrial war extends into space.

The text of the press release, which was circulated by email and was not posted on USSPACECOM’s website at press time, is as follows:

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                             May 20, 2020                                   Release No. 2020-05-001

U.S. Space Command campaign plan and new mission focuses on defeating adversaries

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – U.S. Space Command reached a critical milestone as the Department of Defense’s 11th Combatant Command by finalizing the command’s campaign plan, which incorporates a new mission statement placing greater emphasis on preparing for, defending against, and deterring threats.

The campaign plan provides guidance to USSPACECOM’s staff and components on day-to-day operations, activities and investments to achieve the command’s mission in support of DoD and national security objectives.

By signing the command’s campaign plan, Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond, USSPACECOM commander and U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations, approved the command’s new mission statement:

To conduct operations in, from, and through space to deter conflict, and if necessary, defeat aggression, deliver space combat power for the Joint/Combined force, and defend U.S. vital interests with allies and partners.

The deliberate shift demonstrates the escalating threat posed by adversaries who have transformed space from a benign environment to a competitive domain and ensures the command is able to prevail in conflict should deterrence fail.

“U.S. space power and superiority is a critical enabler to the Joint force in protecting the homeland, fostering global security, and assuring allies. Space enables us to compete, deter and win,” Raymond said. “The USSPACECOM focus is on warfighting. The new mission statement helps us concentrate our efforts on deterrence, knowing we must be ready and capable of defeating adversaries should our nation call upon us to do so.

“The only way to ensure that we can defeat aggression is from a position of strength. And, space power is what enables the Joint force to achieve that,” Raymond concluded.

The campaign plan guides day-to-day activities of the COCOM, from how it develops cooperation with allies and partners to how it deals with competition from adversaries. The plan is designed to drive the COCOM toward a desired end-state. The congested, contested and competitive operational environment necessitates the robust nature of the plan and the new mission focus. It guides the command’s ability to deliver space combat power around the world.

“This iterative process continually evaluates whether the mission and overall objectives of the plan align with national strategies,” said Rear Adm. Marcus A. Hitchcock, USSPACECOM Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy. “This is a huge step forward for the command and will take our overall operational capabilities to a much higher level not only internally to the command, but also with our interactions with our partners and allies.”

The lines of effort contained within the campaign plan are aligned with the National Defense Strategy and the National Strategy for Space. The plan ensures that the command is defending on-orbit and terrestrial capabilities, delivering uninterrupted global space effects to the warfighter, strengthening the collective security by building up partnerships and alliances, posturing to ensure readiness to respond with decisive combat operations, and developing ready and lethal Joint space warfighters.

“Our ability to plan and execute global space operations conveys to our adversaries that the U.S. will always compete from a position of strength,” Hitchcock said.

The command continues to evolve and posture itself to deal effectively with potential conflict should deterrence efforts fail. The new mission and campaign plan will help to shape that posture and move the command toward future operations.

End of press release

This article has been updated.