HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The leader of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command said the command ensures space remains a capability for the Soldier, the Army and the nation during his address at the 26th Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Aug. 8.
Lt. Gen. Daniel L. Karbler, USASMDC commanding general, focused on Army space during his speech reflecting the symposium’s theme of “Space and Integrated Air and Missile Defense: Meeting the Global Challenge.”
“I look forward to learning about all the new developments in the space and missile defense world, and I relish this opportunity to come together to discuss, share ideas and move forward in support of the space and missile defense missions to which we are all fully committed,” Karbler said.
Karbler said he wanted to start out by sharing his favorite fact about his command from fiscal year 2023: USASMDC is the best place to work in the Army.
“Indeed, no matter where they are or what they’re doing, SMDC teammates are setting new records, breaking new ground and taking it upon themselves to model what it means to truly be a ‘People First’ command and a ‘People First’ Army,” Karbler said.
“Our way of life has a face, it’s each individual American citizen and those who put on the uniform to defend them,” he added. “That’s why America’s Army is a ‘People First’ organization. We’re deeply, intimately concerned with the well-being of our Soldiers and their families, not to mention the thousands of civilians and contractors who ensure mission success here at home and around the world. This is a mission that we must guarantee.”
Karbler said as people talk about the Army of 2030 and as he looks to the future of USASMDC and the Army at large, “we must remember that people are our greatest strength. They are the key to our success, and they are the future of our Army, our nation, and our world.”
Karbler said the 2019 and 2022 Missile Defense Reviews state that missile defeat is a strategic imperative. He said there is a need for a single warfighting commander to be designated to coordinate and advocate for missile defeat effects.
“The opportunity we have before us is to provide a commander with potential solutions, integrated and synchronized within their targeting and effects processes to create responsive missile defeat effects,” Karbler said.
Karbler said the command’s Army Capability Manager for Space and High Altitude, which is nested under the Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence, has been at the forefront of efforts to develop a Theater Strike Effects Group that will help the U.S. win on the ground, in space and everywhere in between.
“This theater-level Army space formation is integral for today’s battlefield,” Karbler said. “It will allow us to leverage the experience of its command team and staff to ensure success at every echelon, ensuring that all our capabilities are being employed when and where they’re needed best. TSEG is poised to be a shining example of what the Army and SMDC does best: integrating right at the intersection between land and space domains.
“We’re also continuing to develop the multi-domain task forces that will ensure success in current and future conflicts,” he added. “In the past, multi-domain stopped at air, land and sea. But we’re fighting battles in other domains now, with space and cyberspace at the forefront of our minds and our adversaries.”
Karbler said Field Manual 3-0, the Army’s operations manual that was updated last year, marks the Army’s official transition to multi-domain operations. He said it drives how the Army organizes, trains and equips to support operations as a service, and it defines those warfighting tasks Soldiers will do as part of the joint force.
“Land capabilities enable space operations in multiple ways. Space capabilities enable land operations in multiple ways,” Karbler said, referencing the manual. “The proliferation of space and cyberspace capabilities further requires leaders who understand the advantages these capabilities create in their operational environment.”
Karbler said USASMDC’s Air and Missile Defense Integration Division is working toward solutions for short- and mid-range air defense capabilities, specifically Indirect Fire Protection Capabilities and Maneuver Short Range Air Defense, which will help counter threats and keep Soldiers, allies, and joint partners safe as they do their jobs.
“Space is a key domain for warfare in the 21st century and beyond,” Karbler said. “Space supports all-domain fires and effects, as illustrated by the triad. Space also provides opportunities for us to engage with adversaries using non-lethal fires. As we shift organizationally from the goal of missile defense to missile defeat, space will enable us to make real impacts on the battlefield and even before the fight begins.”
Karbler said there is no longer a single-domain battleground so it is necessary to work across all domains to ensure victory.
“Space isn’t going anywhere, and it’s our responsibility as America’s Army to make sure that we take an active posture as it regards deterrence and defense,” Karbler said. “The Army offers space capabilities that support missions unique to the Army—and we’ve done it successfully for a very long time.”
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