The War Zone
• Joseph Trevithick
The head of U.S. Space Command says American space assets must be able to “shoot, move, and communicate” alongside the broader joint force, signaling a heightened emphasis on offensive and survivable capabilities in military space operations.
Space Defense & Militarization
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The U.S. Army is developing space-superiority capabilities focused on countering adversary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites, while also pursuing what Col. Joe Mroszcyck described as “stratospheric warfare.” The effort signals a broader role for Army forces in contested space and near-space operations.
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The head of U.S. Space Command says American space assets must be able to “shoot, move, and communicate” alongside the broader joint force, signaling a heightened emphasis on offensive and survivable capabilities in military space operations.
The U.S. Space Force is funding five companies to demonstrate interoperability across commercial satellite systems for its open-architecture Space Data Network, whose proliferated low-Earth-orbit backbone is being supplied by SpaceX. Separately, Impulse Space received a $28 million SBIR Phase III extension supporting two VICTUS SALO missions.
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Astranis is expanding beyond communications satellites with Perceptor, a spacecraft designed to monitor and maneuver around other objects in geostationary orbit. The company says the system addresses shortcomings it encountered with existing space-domain-awareness technology, targeting surveillance of an increasingly contested orbital environment.
New Zealand’s security agency said it disrupted an attempt by a Chinese state-linked observatory to establish satellite-tracking infrastructure in the country. The case, highlighted in the agency’s annual assessment, underscores growing concern over foreign espionage activity and the strategic value of space-monitoring sites.
The U.S. Space Force awarded Impulse Space a $28 million SBIR Phase III contract extension for VICTUS SALO 2 and 3. The two missions will expand demonstrations of tactically responsive space operations, in-space maneuvering and space-domain awareness for military operators.
U.S. Space Command has identified offensive space capabilities and systems to counter proliferated low Earth orbit constellations as its two highest-priority capability needs for fiscal years 2029 through 2033. The ranking highlights perceived gaps in preparing for future conflict in space, according to Gen. Stephen Whiting.
DARPA is soliciting radical concepts for a next-generation hypersonic cruise missile, emphasizing affordable, scalable production and the ability to penetrate adversary air defenses. In parallel, Boeing unveiled an IFPC Increment 2 interceptor design, while Lockheed Martin introduced shared sensor technologies and a modular payload system for future missile bodies.
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