U.S. SPACECOM Attains Initial Operational Capability

The U.S. Space Command officially declared initial operational capability on August 24, five days short of its second year launch date anniversary.

Army Gen. James H. Dickinson said at the U.S. Space Foundation's 36th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that Spacecom is on the path to meeting full operational capability in the near future.

Now, Spacecom can expand its structural, functional and organizational gains made since its establishment. "It's where we can credibly claim to be organized and effective for employing our enduring, no-fail supporting functions to the joint force," he said.

Dickinson stressed the important role allies and partners play in Spacecom's mission and that of the entire department.

Spacecom has more than 100 data sharing agreements with allies, inter-governmental teammates and commercial partners, he said. These agreements exchange information, enhance space domain awareness, increase the safety of spaceflight operations, and lay the foundation for future collaboration in space operations.

The general added that Spacecom has established command and control capabilities, and has participated in 24 tier-one war games and exercises, which are governmental-wide events to test the United States' collective response to real world contingencies. 

"Our participation helps test and refine space warfighting command and control relationships," he said.

Today, threats from China and Russia are even more pronounced than they were when Spacecom was established, he said. The value of Spacecom to protect and defend U.S. and allied interests in space is even more significant.

"One of our most important sources of American strength is free and open access to the benefits of space-based capabilities," he said. "Free and open access requires a peaceful domain. That's why U.S. Space Command's fundamental objective is to deter a conflict in space. And if deterrence fails, we will defeat aggression, through delivering space combat power for the joint and combined force. … So having reached IOC, we're even more capable now of doing all of that.”