Department of Defense Reinforces National Space Policy

 Dec. 9, 2020

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The White House released the National Space Policy today, which highlights the Department of Defense as a key agency in implementing and achieving the nation’s goals in this important domain.  

“The United States is committed to the safety, stability, security, and long-term sustainability of space activities, and the Department of Defense is a key partner in ensuring we continue to have the freedom to operate in, from and through the critical space domain,” said Acting Secretary of Defense, Christopher C. Miller.  “Our adversaries have made space a warfighting domain and we have to adapt our national security organizations, policies, strategies, doctrine, security classification frameworks, and capabilities for this new strategic environment.  Over the last year we have established the necessary organizations to ensure we can deter hostilities, demonstrate responsible behaviors, defeat aggression, and protect the interests of the United States and our allies.  

Through the Policy, DoD will advance spacepower by defending the use of space for U.S. national security purposes.  This includes protecting and preserving lines of communication that are open, safe, and secure in the space domain; ensuring space capabilities are of sufficient capability and capacity to enable decisive offensive and defensive space operations vital to defending U.S. interests in space while continuing to sustain support to joint operations; and conducting operations in, from, and through space to deter adversaries and other actors from conducting activities that may threaten the peaceful use of space by the United States, its allies, and partners; while compelling and imposing costs on adversaries to cease behaviors threatening that peaceful use.

The Policy also highlights the importance of the U.S. Space Force as the primary branch of the U.S. armed forces responsible for organizing, training, and equipping forces capable of projecting power in, from, and to space.  These forces support U.S. Space Command and the other combatant commands to deliver combat and combat support capabilities necessary to enable prompt and sustained offensive and defensive space operations, and to provide space support to joint operations in all domains.

“The National Space Policy guides the efforts of the United States Space Force as we continue to deliver capabilities and forces in defense of our nation’s interests in space,” said Chief of Space Operations, Gen. John W. Raymond. “The strategic environment demands we act boldly, with speed and decisiveness, to ensure we provide advantage to the nation and our allies, and this policy paves the way.”