HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The 2024 Space and Missile Defense Symposium hosted a panel entitled: The “New Triad: Cyber, Space, Special Operations” during the 27th annual Space and Missile Defense Symposium at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Aug. 6.
Moderated by retired Lt. Gen. Richard Formica, the panel consisted of Col. Mark Cobos, commander of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s 1st Space Brigade; Col. Luke Van Antwerp, director of U.S. Army Special Operations Command Capability Development Integration Directorate; Aaron Pearce, U.S. Army Cyber Command’s G39; Col. Pete Atkinson, Department of the Army G3/5/7; and Wing Commander Gareth Jones, United Kingdom Space Command.
Cobos said space Soldiers operate in multiple theaters and deploy closely with some of the greatest war fighting organizations in the United States, Department of Defense, and with partners and allies.
"We have made incredible progress within the Army's SOF-space-cyber Triad as we pursue opportunities to take advantage of unique access and placement provided by SOF that allows us to conduct close space support in coordination with our cyber counterparts in positions of advantage across the battlefield,” Cobos said. “The 1st Space Brigade and space Soldiers in the Army's multidomain task forces are committed to ensuring that Army, conventional and special operations forces have the close space support they need to fight and win."
Pearce said Army Cyber is working across the Army to develop an electronic countermeasure enterprise that has not existed for quite some time in the Army. He added they are looking at ways they can develop rapidly, field and employ electronic warfare effects against an ever-changing threat.
“Over the past year, we’ve also postured our alert cyberattack to begin moving from experimentation into actual operations with the joint force,” Pearce said. “Over the next year, what we anticipate doing is actually beginning to prove the concept in real world operations in support of our geographic combatant commands, as well as U.S. Special Operations Command, to really get after some of the types of effects that we’ve demonstrated in experimentation exercises, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Jones said members of the Triad have to understand that using each other’s strengths does not just mean doing everything in the same way, at the same time together.
“It’s about believing in each other’s strengths to make sure that we are effective as possible,” Jones said. “In crisis, competition is non-negotiable.”
Atkinson said the triad is a great collaboration, and it continues growing every day.
“This triad collaboration is going to extend and it’s going to expand, and I want everybody to understand that you are part of the tribe. Being in this room, you have something to contribute,” Atkinson said. “We look forward to the continued contribution, really hard choices and making sound investments because of the work that’s being done.”
Van Antwerp said the triad is in a position where members are going to be faced with adversaries trying to get to allies.
“Are we influencing decision makers on the other side?” Van Antwerp asked.
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