The Defense Department wants to ramp up cooperation with allies over military operations in space, but is facing tough challenges carrying out its goal.
The Pentagon sees space capabilities as fundamental to all military operations and that collaboration with allies and partners in space is necessary to deter, and if necessary, prevail in a high-end conflict.
However, a just-released report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office said Pentagon officials are struggling to carry out the mission.
“The U.S. Space Force doesn’t have enough people in some units to plan and execute activities with allies and partners,” the GAO investigators said. “Also, some [Defense Department] organizations have overlapping responsibilities for this work, which has caused confusion.”
Enhancing partnerships will support efforts to counter threats and manage risk during the time it takes the U.S. to develop and field the capabilities needed to prepare for a future conflict in space. The GAO said the Department continues to emphasize the importance of working with its allies and partners in space-based operations to increase deterrence and capability.
“To date, cooperation with allies in the space domain remains limited,” the GAO analysts said. “For example, several foreign government officials said that finding the appropriate [Defense Department] contact with whom to coordinate is difficult.”
The National Defense Authorization Act for 2024 includes a provision for the GAO to review the Pentagon’s efforts to integrate allies and partners into space operations and activities.
The Defense Department hasn’t clarified the roles and responsibilities of the agencies when dealing with allies and partners.
“Without such guidance, [Defense Department] organizations may pursue space-related security cooperation activities outside established channels, leading to confusion and inefficiencies,” the GAO said.
The U.S. Space Force also has not adequately responded to the risk of not filling positions within its service components, including space-related planning, information sharing, and security cooperation positions, officials with the Congressional watchdog group said.
The Defense Department should ensure that the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy coordinates with key stakeholders and sets specific milestones for integrating allies and partners into space operations, according to the GAO report.
The Air Force Secretary should make sure the Chief of Space Operations has a sufficient number of law enforcement personnel on hand to optimize readiness and sustainability while responding to the risks of understaffing identified positions, GAO officials said.
The watchdog group said the Defense Department must coordinate with key stakeholders to implement its goal of integrating allies and partners into space operations.
According to the GAO, the Defense Department concurred with two of its recommendations and disagreed with a third, though the agency did not specify.
The GAO said it was awaiting a response to learn what actions the Pentagon has taken in response to the report.
