How to Make Defense Department a Better Satellite Communications Customer.

• Author: Cowen-Hirsch, Rebecca
• Position: Viewpoint

It was only a year ago, at the 2018 National Space Symposium, that Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond, commander of Air Force Space Command and the Joint Force Space Component, spoke about how we are building profound, positive momentum in what could emerge as one of the most significant periods of change in the history of military and satellite communications.

"I am convinced that when historians look back at 2017 and 2018, they will look back on this as one of the most critical times in our national security space history. It will be seen, in my opinion, as a strategic inflection point for national security space and a bold shift towards warfighting and space superiority," he said during his keynote address.

In reflecting upon recent events, it is difficult to dispute these words. First and foremost, the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act moved responsibility for procurement of commercial satellite communications for the military from the Defense Information Systems Agency to Air Force Space Command. In addition, the White House ordered the Pentagon to stand up a U.S. Space Command as a separate combatant command for carrying out joint space warfighting operations across all branches of the military.

These steps represent far more than a bureaucratic reshuffling of roles: these policies and strategies signify the U.S. government's recognition of the criticality of space resilience and the importance of consistent, consolidated and strategic leadership in space. They serve as a legislative response to the urgent need for military users to have ready access to resilient, robust and secure communications across the full spectrum of engagement through the support of commercial satellites. The NDAA provides a framework for, and marks the first steps toward, crucial reorganization and consolidation of space capabilities with a tangible opportunity for commercial satellite systems to become an integral part of the architecture.

However, even with the advanced maturity and ubiquity of telecommunications provided by the commercial satellite industry, there remains a divide between historical military acquisition and use of commercial systems versus how the industry delivers and its users buy services. Most commercial users, whether enterprise or consumer, view satellite communications as a critical capability to support their business or mission need.

Yet in the national security enterprise, technology is not the impediment--processes and cultural...