Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work has unveiled a Pentagon plan to create a space operations center to manage military and intelligence satellites as part of efforts toward space resilience, Breaking Defense reported Tuesday.
Colin Clark writes that the center will operate as a backup for tracking satellite activity and support joint development of tactics and procedures between the military and intelligence communities.
“[We] are intent on setting up a joint interagency and combined space operations in which both the IC and [the Defense Department] sit,” Work told his audience at the ongoing GEOINT Symposium.
Clark reports that the facility, which will be a backup to the Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, is scheduled to launch within six months.
According to the report, a source indicated that the future space operations center is under development by the National Reconnaissance Office and Gen. John Hyten, head of Air Force Space Command.
Jim Garamone of DoD News reports that Work also discussed other collaborative efforts between industry and DoDÂ to build up space capabilities amid challenges from countries such as Russia and China.
“Because of the things coming along, we are going to have to embrace innovation and change,” Work said at the GEOINT event.
He noted the need for technological superiority, particularly in areas like geospatial intelligence, to deter challenges in the security environment.
