Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, announced during the 39th annual Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado that the command’s Capability Assessment and Validation Environment, or CAVE, has reached minimum viable capability.
According to Whiting, CAVE is a modeling and simulation platform designed to provide insights into multidomain joint warfighting concepts to inform how the command plans for space operations.
“U.S. Space Command does not want any war, let alone a war that starts in or extends into space, which would be particularly bad for our domain. We want to remain in enduring competition and not progress into crisis or conflict,” he said.
During the event, Whiting also said that partnerships with international allies play a key role in maintaining the U.S. warfighting advantage in the space domain.
“At U.S. Space Command, we are committed to building a coalition of teammates to achieve a collective advantage, and we’re committed to being great teammates ourselves,” Whiting said.
Whiting highlighted the role of Operation OLYMPIC DEFENDER, or OOD—the command’s multinational effort to optimize space operations—in strengthening international partnerships.
Launched in 2020, OOD includes the U.K., Australia and Canada and has invited three more countries to join its efforts to synchronize efforts to enhance space resilience, improve mission assurance and optimize space assets.
“I’ve been proud to work alongside Germany, France and New Zealand for many years, and I look forward to their consideration of our invitation to join OOD,” Whiting said.
