The United States is a global power with global responsibilities. Meeting these responsibilities to deter, deny, and defeat potential adversaries in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous global security environment results in Joint Warfighter demands for unique Army forces and capabilities. Army Space and Global Missile Defense (GMD) forces stand out among the unique forces and capabilities in high demand. The United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (USASMDC/ARSTRAT) provides operational Space and GMD forces and capabilities critical to successful Joint campaigns while enabling Joint Force Commanders' daily theater activities.
Our adversaries continue to increase their capabilities and capacities. Recent Iranian and North Korean activities illustrate growing threats to the U.S. homeland, deployed forces, Allies and mission partners. Further, ambitions of a resurgent Russia, and the intentions of the People's Republic of China to exert themselves regionally, and beyond the first island chain into the South China Sea, are bound to increase friction wherever our interests intersect. These and many other countries already possess significant space and missile capabilities and a few have recently employed them, as demonstrated during operations in Syria, Yemen, the Crimea, and elsewhere. With these challenges, Army Space and GMD operations in contested operations should now be considered the norm.
Army Space and GMD forces offer Joint Warfighters the means to conduct operations despite adversarial efforts to disrupt or degrade reliance on space-based capabilities, or the ability to project combat power under the risk of missile attack. Leading that effort, USASMDC/ARSTRAT is a uniquely organized, multi-component command with Soldiers and Civilians deployed across 11 time zones, from 22 global - often isolated - locations. As the Army service component to U.S. Strategic Command, the command is responsible for planning, integrating, and coordinating Army Space and GMD missions. Additionally, as the Army's space, GMD, and high altitude proponent, USASMDC/ARSTRAT develops Space and GMD forces and capabilities to sustain our decisive advantage. The command is also the Army's technical lead to conduct space, high altitude, and air and missile defense related research and development. Complementing the Army specific functions, the Commander USASMDC/ARSTRAT also serves as the Commander of USSTRATCOM's Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense (JFCC IMD). In this role, the command is responsible for synchronizing planning, recommending force allocations, and advocating for future capabilities to address Homeland defense and Combatant Commander's requirements.
USASMDC/ARSTRAT Space and GMD forces are decisively engaged in the current fight, providing trained and ready forces in support of Joint Warfighter requirements. The 1st Space Brigade provides satellite communications (SATCOM), missile warning, and Army space support to the warfighter while the Soldiers of the 100th GMD Brigade stand watch, 24/7/365 providing the nation's only defense against an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) attack. On any given day, the command maintains nearly 900 personnel directly supporting Joint campaigns through forward deployed and committed forces.
The U.S. Army is the largest user of space capabilities. The 1st Space Brigade elements such as Army Space Support Teams (ARSST) provide critical support to Joint operations and exercises. Army Space Coordination Elements (ASCE) and Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Electronic Detachments (E-Dets) are also integrated with Joint operations. Of note, USASMDC/ARSTRAT has met exponential Joint Warfighter demand for E-Dets by increasing Total Army force structure. The Army Space Personnel Development Office ensures Space professionals are also integrated into the Joint force. The Army Space Cadre, approximately 4,000 strong, are Soldiers and Civilians with unique training and experience in the space domain. Further enhancing space domain situation awareness, the command supports Friendly Force Tracking (FFT) and Tagging, Tracking, and Locating (TTL) missions, processing over 500K track reports daily and disseminating data to over 250 users. FFT capabilities provide global location of friendly and allied forces.
Charged with implementing the Army's Space Training Strategy (ASTS), the command trains and educates Soldiers to conduct Unified Land Operations (ULO) in a contested environment. Our 'space training kits,' training aids, and support to the numerous Combat Training Centers (CTC) with space professionals, assist in increasing the operational readiness of the force to fight and win decisive operations. Given Brigade Combat Team (BCT) reliance upon over 2,500 pieces of precision navigation and timing (PNT)-enabled, and over 250 pieces of satellite communications (SATCOM)-enabled equipment, training on battlefield effects in contested space environments is imperative (ASTS support to home-station training and CTC rotations now includes the mission command training program, facilitating space training at the division level).
Joint Warfighters also rely heavily on SATCOM capabilities, enabled through payload characterization and management of Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS). With the seventh of ten planned WGS satellites launched, this U.S.-Australian venture provides increased capacity in the SHF-band (high data rates for tactical users). Agreements with other international partners support a WGS launch in early 2017. Regional SATCOM Support Centers, our Consolidated SATCOM System Experts, and our globally deployed Wide-band SATCOM Operations Centers (WSOC) ensure assured SATCOM support for national leaders down to the individual warfighter.
Additionally, globally deployed Joint Tactical Ground Stations (JTAGS) provide Joint Warfighters with a 24/7 source of missile attack warning, and the ongoing JTAGS modernization program will significantly improve early warning for deployed forces and Allies. This space-based capability is further complemented by AN/TPY-2 radars. These radars provide tracking and discrimination for regional and homeland GMD. An essential element of the Joint GMD kill chain, they are also integrated with Ground-based Interceptors (GBI) at Fort Greely and Vandenberg Air Force Base. Operated by the 100th GMD Brigade, and as stated previously, GBIs provide the nation's only defense against an ICBM attack on the US homeland. This year, the breadth and effectiveness of U.S. coverage was extended by fielding a GBI In-Flight Communications Data Terminal at Fort Drum, New York. Next year, the GBI capacity at Fort Greely will increase with 14 additional interceptors. These GBIs will provide greater defensive depth and engagement options for GMD.
As the Army's proponent and Training Capability Manager (TCM) for GMD, USASMDC/ARSTRAT supports the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) test program which provides further opportunities to validate the readiness of the GMD system. To simulate Joint Warfighter's missile defense challenges, their regional architectures are replicated and tested at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii and the Reagan Test Site (RTS) on Kwajalein Atoll Republic of the Marshall Islands. RTS also supports the testing of other missile defense systems and capabilities such as THAAD and AEGIS. In addition to missile defense test support, RTS provides tracking and instrumentation for Minuteman missile launches supporting the nation's strategic deterrence demonstrations.
RTS's location and unique capability also allow personnel at RTS to conduct continuous deep space surveillance and object identification missions, supporting USSTRATCOM space situational awareness. In the spring of 2016, the U.S. Air Force began construction of their most advanced surveillance system--the Space Fence on Kwajalein Island. In a few years, this improved surveillance capability will enable enhanced space situational awareness while complementing existing systems at Reagan Test Site. RTS is a national asset supporting U.S. space superiority, contributing to space situational awareness and uniquely positioned to track new foreign launches (approximately 80% of launches originating from Asia and Europe).
USASMDC/ARSTRAT also conducts Space and GMD force modernization, materiel development, and research and development. Our Future Warfare Center conceptualizes and integrates Space and GMD into Joint operations, building tomorrow's forces. Our Technical Center researches and develops technologies, to be employed by current and future Space and GMD forces. These Army Space and GMD forces will strengthen readiness for the future fight.
A rapidly developing technology that the command is pursuing is directed energy. Directed energy weapons offer the means to close the counter rocket, artillery and mortar (C-RAM) and counter unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) cost curve by augmenting missile and gun systems costing upwards of $100K per engagement and having limited rounds with lasers that cost pennies per shot and have a nearly endless magazine. Following scheduled demonstrations with a 10 kilowatt-class laser, integration of a 50 kilowatt-class laser system onto a mobile platform will occur in 2018. The objective 100kW system is planned for the early 2020s.
Future fights will be conducted in degraded, disrupted, or denied space operational environments (D3SOE). In response, the command is activating a 'space aggressor' capability to further enhance realism of home station and CTC training, and support space protection operations. Training aids are being evaluated for utility in simulating D3SOE conditions. A direct result of D3SOE is the demand on SSA Electronic Detachments. To meet this demand, we will activate an Army Reserve Company in 2017, followed by a USAR Battalion HQ in 2018; with additional E-Dets activating 2020 through 2022.
The command also supports efforts to provide additional Narrowband (UHF-band) SATCOM to the warfighter. Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) will provide ten times the capacity of legacy UHF. MUOS is designed to support mobile, dispersed Joint forces in any setting. MUOS also provides 'roaming' SATCOM for Joint forces operating in austere areas.
Correspondingly, SATCOM programs are augmented by nano-satellites. USASMDC/ARSTRAT's Nano-Satellite Program (SNAP) will provide Joint Warfighters with communications support. SNAP technology demonstrators are providing beyond-line-of-sight communications to the tactical level. High frequency Ka-Band nano-satellites and Army Resilient Global On-the-move SATCOM (ARGOS) provide information resilience in austere environments. On-demand imagery is another focus. Kestrel Eye is an electro-optical imagery nano-satellite for tactical-level commanders. Capable of producing 1.5-meter imagery, Kestrel Eye 's data will be down linked directly to the Warfighter. The goal is to provide the warfighter with timely SATCOM and imagery support in austere environments. As we look to counter the ever growing space and missile threat USASMDC/ARSTRAT is committed to enabling the Joint Warfighter with Army Space and GMD forces and relevant capabilities. We are continuing with our efforts to leverage the right resources and invest in the right people and technologies. Through this we can bring to bear our most effective systems and processes tin support of the warfighter.
Ultimately, it will fall to Joint Warfighters to execute the tasks they were trained on, with ready equipment, under the direction of capable leaders. As always, we must keep protection of our homeland, our warfighters and that or our allies and coalition partners at the forefront. Our nation and our men and women on the battlefield deserve every advantage we can provide.
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