Space Systems Command Overview
13 December 2023
Lt Gen Michael Guetlein, SSC/CC
SSC Threat Focus
-It all starts with the threat because the threat is the why. China, China, China, it’s all about China and the near peer threat.
-Russia has come on and said we are all a threat and target.
-I have to figure out how to get unity of effort.
SSC Culture Change
-At the heart of the culture change is building a culture mindset. We moved from a system focused approach to a capability and mission focused approach. PEOs are focused on delivering capabilities that can be guaranteed upon in crisis.
SSC Partnerships
-We’ve come a long way but time is running out. We’re not going at it alone.
-Seven operational imperatives, first is space order of battle. Sec Kendall has made the pivot, shifted budget to emerging capabilities. That’s been a huge shift.
DAF Shift
-We’re going to transform DAF organizationally to prepare for great power competition.
-USAF is getting rid of majcom structure.
-USSF, recruiting, training, we’re making major pivots. It’s going to be huge.
2026
-SSC we’re laser focused on delivering capability by 2026.
-China has an aging population and no one to backfill. 60% of their natural resources are contaminated beyond repair. They have to turn externally.
-2026 2027, someone could act out of desperation. That’s a possibility. We must deter. It’s so critical we change the way we fight, acquire, train, recruit.
Exploit, Buy, Build & AQ Changes
-Exploit what we have, buy what we can, build only what we must.
-This is a culture change.
-We used to see a threat, create a bunch of requirements, then say go build this. It would take 10-15 years and no changes could be made.
-We stoop up SAF/SQ and have Frank Calvelli. He’s changing the way we do business.
-We stood up CSRO under Gen Garrant. This flipped the equation.
Transforming Space to be Resilient
-Systems of Systems Office under Dr Claire Leon and they’ve responsible for integrating.
-Shannon Pallone just named BMC3 PEO. Now we have six PEOs.
-Exploit tonight, we just held our second fight tonight. It went after exquisite mesh networking. We have to take better advantage of the data we have. We stood up the Tap Labs in CO Springs. One for SRT and one for SDA. Then we’re attaching it to AI. We’re combining this with modeling and sims.
-We’re building an immersive digital facility so guardians can better understand the systems in a larger ecosystem.
-We’re taking advantage of commercial. We need to leverage this going into a near peer fight.
-We’ve held 20+ reverse industry days.
-SpaceWERX, we’ve invested over 200$M dollars to try to grow the industrial base.
-Commercial Sat Office, I expect it’ll double in the next five years.
-SDA Marketplace, we bought commercial SDA data and I can share it with allies because it’s unclassified.
-CASR, how do I build the capacity I need during wartime and peacetime? How can I start building these relationships so they’re there during conflict?
-International affairs, we’re working allied by design.
Tactically Responsive Space
-Victus Nox, this should tell you how important this is.
-ORS wasn’t going towards a near peer threat. TacRS is.
-TacRS is about proving that space can be tactically relevant. Victus Nox was meant to prove this can be done. TacRS is about changing the culture so that we the SF know we can respond to tactically relevant timelines.
-TacRS is about taking advantage of what’s on the ground, on orbit capabilities, and CASR. It’s a different way of looking at the fight.
SSC in the Future
-CTIO is all over figuring out how to get better networks.
-AI/ML, our industry partners are putting AI/ML in every system now and it’ll be the way we fight in the future.
-Cyber, we’ve got to do better.
-Dynamic space ops, getting after this.
-We’re restructuring the relationship between SpOC, STARCOM, and SSC.
-He is taking my job and he is perfectly postured. He knows how to do this business and how to move it forward.
-New CMSgt Suave coming in. She’s amazing. Thank you Chief Frazier for all the work you’ve done.
-Space starts with SSC. We’re serious about partnering. Remember the 2026 threat. It is serious and we’re behind the power curve.