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U.S. Space Force Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations.
LONDON—Gen. Chance Saltzman became the second Chief of Space Operations of the nascent U.S. Space Force in 2022, with the self-described task of expanding a service that was akin to the U.S. Merchant Marine into the U.S. Navy.
In his final speech before retiring next month, Saltzman says the Space Force and broader military need to keep the focus going on key missions while also narrowing expectations in addressing some of the service’s hardest problems. “Not all challenges must be solved,” Saltzman said in an address at the Global Air and Space Chiefs Conference here on July 15. “Some challenges should simply be managed.”
The Space Force has faced persistent problems in specific, broad areas that simply might never be fully fixed. For example, effective interoperability with other militaries is worth addressing but, “It’s unlikely we will comprehensively do it,” Saltzman says. The same goes for the long-term effort to address overclassification that interferes with combined operations.
Likewise, weapons system acquisition at an operationally relevant speed. With the pace of the operations the Space Force is undertaking, that is very unlikely to be solved. “We must continue to press hard to mitigate these challenges, and continued enhancement in these areas will always make us better,” he says.
Instead of focusing on quick fixes that promise a lot but never fully deliver, there should be stable resources that continue research and development on long-term interests, Saltzman says.
In a discussion with reporters on the sideline of the conference, the general highlighted key mission areas that need to remain priorities as the Space Force grows. First is the “foundational” role of space domain awareness. This includes new ground-based capabilities along with on-orbit satellites forming the future surveillance layer.
“The thing about foundations is they’re sometimes easy to ignore, and you get enamored with the structure above the foundation. But, if you make mistakes in the foundation, the structure can fall down pretty quickly,” he says. “Space domain awareness is going to be a priority for a while.”
Additionally, Saltzman highlighted expanding launch capacity, space-control capabilities to defend satellites and continuing to take advantage of commercial satellites.
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