Space is no longer a sanctuary for the United States military. An implicit assumption in the space domain has been that deterrence would hold and space systems would not be attacked in conventional conflicts. One of the consequences of this assumption is that U.S. space systems, and military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) systems in particular, have critical vulnerabilities in conventional warfare to physical, electronic, and cyber attacks. If the U.S. military is committed to a strategy of assured access in the face of anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities, as the 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance states, then the Department must adapt the next-generation MILSATCOM architecture to operate in a more contested environment. In a constrained budget, however, it is cost prohibitive to increase protected MILSATCOM capacity by starting new programs or continuing to conduct business as usual.
What must the military do to bridge the gap between the capabilities needed and the funding available?
On July 24, 2013, CSBA hosted a discussion on the The Future of MILSATCOM.
with introductory remarks by
and
presentation of a new study by
Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments
2212 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC