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Argo Space Corp. CEO Robert Carlisle (left) speaks with Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, during an open forum discussion at the Apollo Insight Commercial Integration tabletop exercise in Colorado Springs on March 23.
COLORADO SPRINGS—U.S. Space Command (Spacecom) is beginning to craft a strategy focused on space-based maneuvering as adversaries increasingly demonstrate new refueling and logistics activities, Commander Gen. Stephen Whiting said April 14.
“When we look at scenarios involving a protracted conflict against a peer opponent, we need a new strategy that isn’t predictable or static,” he said during a keynote speech at the Space Foundation’s annual Space Symposium here.
In January, Whiting introduced the idea of launching a series of on-orbit exercises he called the Apollo maneuvers, which would stress test the U.S. military’s space systems ahead of a possible conflict. He is now tasking Spacecom to develop an enterprise-wide strategy based off of that concept, he said.
At the same time, Spacecom has kicked off a quarterly tabletop exercise series called Apollo Insights, Whiting said. The first exercise was conducted on March 26, and was focused on weapons of mass destruction on-orbit, inspired by reports that Russia is developing a space-based nuclear weapon.
The next exercise in the series will focus on maneuver warfare, followed by one of proliferated orbits, and finally a missile defense-focused exercise centered around the Arctic region, Whiting said.
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