Army strategic foundational capabilities for joint warfighters

By Lt. Gen. David L. Mann, commanding general, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense CommandOctober 5, 2015

The Army is changing the way that it thinks about fighting, and the foundational capabilities that enable the United States to prevail in an unstable, unpredictable, increasingly complex global security environment. Commanders expect capabilities, such as assured communications, force tracking, and warning and deterrence of missile attack, to maintain their strategic advantages. U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command's (USASMDC/ARSTRAT) foundational capabilities enable the strategic advantage the Army, Joint, and Coalition warfighters, require to prevent, shape, and win conflicts in a complex world, through 2025 and beyond.

The Army Operating Concept (AOC) outlines what is required to win in a complex world. This command provides the warfighter with multiple options, integrating efforts of multiple partners, operating across multiple domains, and presenting adversaries with multiple dilemmas. USASMDC/ARSTRAT provides forces and capabilities with tactical, operational, and strategic impact. Nested with the AOC the priorities of USASMDC/ARSTRAT are:

• Defend the Homeland & Support the Warfighter

• Prepare for the Future

• Develop Emerging Technologies

• Sustain Strategic Advantage

ARMY STRATEGIC FORCE PROVIDER AND DEVELOPER

USASMDC/ARSTRAT is a uniquely organized, multi-component, command with Soldiers and Civilians deployed across 11 time zones, in 21 globally dispersed - often isolated and remote -locations. Literally, the sun never sets on USASMDC/ARSTRAT. This command provides trained and ready Army space and global missile defense (GMD) forces to support warfighter requirements. USASMDC/ARSTRAT is also organized to conduct space and GMD force modernization, materiel development, and research and development. Our Future Warfare Center conceptualizes and integrates space and GMD into Joint operations while the command's Technical Center researches and develops future technologies. As the Army Service Component Commander to U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the command is also responsible for planning, integrating, and coordinating Army space and GMD support of USSTRATCOM missions. As Commander of USSTRATCOM's Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense (JFCC IMD), responsibilities include synchronizing GMD planning, supporting GMD operations, recommending allocation of GMD assets, and advocating for GMD capabilities.

Additionally, the Army Chief of Staff designated USASMDC/ARSTRAT as the Army's Air and Missile Defense (AMD) Enterprise Integrator. The AMD Enterprise Integrator synchronizes the implementation of a holistic Army AMD strategy, including GMD. Given demands for AMD forces and a need for efficient investments across the portfolio, this role is critical to providing coordinated recommendations to decision-makers to address current and future requirements.

EMERGING CHALLENGES WITHIN THE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

While the Nation transitions from over a decade of war and counterinsurgency, the security environment is increasingly complicated and ambiguous. Adversaries learned from the success of U.S. Armed Forces and have developed asymmetric capabilities to exploit vulnerabilities and disrupt or deny our freedom of action. Our forward staging bases and power projection capabilities are increasingly at risk. Adversary counterspace and ballistic missile capabilities have turned the global commons into contested battlespace. Adversaries, enabled by space-based technologies and widespread proliferation of missile technologies, directly challenge mission command and assured access essential to the conduct of Joint campaigns. The increasing competence and growing imbalance demonstrated by threat counterspace and long-range ballistic missile capability and capacities endanger strategic advantages of U.S. Armed Forces.

DEFEND THE HOMELAND AND SUPPORT THE WARFIGHTER

Defending the homeland against missile attack is an enduring priority enabled by many of the forces and capabilities provided by USASMDC/ARSTRAT. The 100th GMD Brigade is ready, 24/7, to protect the homeland from missile attack. AN/TPY-2 radars provide early warning essential to protecting the homeland, deployed forces, friends and allies, and have become a preferred instrument of diplomacy. 1st Space Brigade's Army Space Support Teams (ARSSTs) deploy globally, allowing commanders to fully leverage space capabilities. Joint Tactical Ground Stations (JTAGs) provide theater missile early warning. Regional SATCOM Support Centers, and Wideband SATCOM Operations Centers (WSOCs) enable assured communications. These capabilities, and unique functions such as Friendly Force Tracking, allow our Nation to integrate the efforts of multiple partners, operate in contested environments, respond to crises, and project power). The wideband SATCOM partnership with the Government of Australia is key to this power projection. These foundational capabilities extend operational reach, provide situational awareness, and protect Allies and partners. Partnering across the Army is further enhanced by the Army Space Training Strategy (ASTS), focused at brigade and below. Forward-committed space and GMD forces demonstrate U.S. resolve and commitment to alliances (e.g., NATO) and policy (e.g., Phased Adaptive Approach). Partnering is evident across the PAA - Army sensors support Navy shooters; Navy sensors support Army shooters. The command's participation in inter-Service talks cement relations and a shared understanding, underscoring space interdependencies and the urgent challenges posed by demand for finite AMD forces.

PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE

Through organic capability development, this command provides multiple options to Joint warfighters. USASMDC/ARSTRAT will continue to maintain advantages enabled by space and GMD forces. AN/TPY-2 radars are imperative to setting the theater and, paired with GMD weapons or regional AMD capabilities, shape the environment. As threat capabilities continue to evolve, the Army AMD force modernization program will provide a Total Force that is more lethal, agile, expeditionary, and interoperable. To address future threats to the homeland, the GMD system has programmed upgrades across the entire Joint kill chain. Software upgrades to GMD fire control and communications networks will improve reliability and replace aging systems, while enabling integration of the GMD system with the Integrated AMD Battle Command System (IBCS) -- the Army's top AMD modernization priority. Missile Field Refurbishment at Ft Greely for additional interceptors, the Stockpile Reliability program, and Redesigned Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle will expand the protected battlespace. Upgrades to space capabilities include improved Space Kits, advanced on-orbit sensors, and nanosatellites. These small satellites -- the size of a loaf of bread -- perform missions ranging from communications to imagery collection. Concurrently, the Army Space Training Strategy will be leveraged at our Combat Training Centers to enrich the collective training of the Total Force.

DEVELOP EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

USASMDC/ARSTRAT also provides options to the Army and the Joint Force which enhance operations in multiple domains. As the proponent for space, USASMDC/ARSTRAT is focused on ensuring the space domain continues to support Army operations - providing an overmatch condition relative to our adversaries. Proliferation of counterspace and missile technology will continue to increase, providing our adversaries a range of options to conduct anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) operations intended to deny U.S. access to all domains. Our unique organization allows us an atypical advantage to research, test, and operationalize tools and capabilities to enable Joint warfighters to overcome these challenges. The High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD), for example, is a solid-state laser system to complement kinetic energy AMD capabilities. Today, we engage cheap missiles with expensive interceptors. The synergy of directed and kinetic energy systems have the potential to enhance defensive capabilities, and are critical to closing the cost curve. USASMDC/ARSTRAT efforts support the goal of leveraging technology to reverse this trend, economically addressing an adapting threat. Nanosatellites are being developed to perform a variety of missions historically performed by large, expensive satellites. Developed rapidly, for a fraction of normal costs, and launched as secondary payloads, nanosatellites can further reduce costs of traditional space-based capabilities.

SUSTAIN STRATEGIC ADVANTAGES

The AOC envisions an Army able to present multiple dilemmas to an adversary. Space and GMD forces and capabilities support this vision today. Reliable wideband and narrowband SATCOM assets enhance mission command capabilities for a scalable expeditionary force. USASMDC/ARSTRAT provides cutting edge technology for space control to preserve assured access to space. Successful employment of space control capabilities during Combatant Command-level exercises demonstrate the utility, and maturity, of these strategic enablers. USASMDC/ARSTRAT, through its SATCOM and space control missions, allows Joint warfighters to dictate the terms and tempo of combat operations which instill uncertainty in the intentions of our enemies. The protection and early-warning afforded by GMD forces allow execution of Joint campaigns along multiple, independent lines of operations.

CONCLUSION

USASMDC/ARSTRAT is dedicated to providing support to Joint warfighters and our multinational partners. The command's priorities of today and vision of the future are consistent with the Army Operating Concept. USASMDC/ARSTRAT will continue to develop strategic, foundational forces and capabilities which "provide the Joint Force with multiple options, integrate the efforts of multiple partners, operate across multiple domains, and present our enemies and adversaries with multiple dilemmas." USASMDC/ARSTRAT provides and -- on a daily basis -- develops, researches and tests, space and GMD capabilities to set the conditions for success for the Joint warfighter of 2025 and beyond.