WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is poised to sign agreements with commercial space companies that go far beyond the usual contractor relationships, integrating their equipment into military units and exercises with the expectation they will deploy systems if conflicts arise.
- This new type of partnership has been in discussions for over a year and comes as the U.S. military increasingly views space as a critical domain for national security alongside land, air, sea and cyberspace.
- Citing growing threats from China and Russia to disrupt American satellites, Pentagon officials say private companies are needed to help maintain crucial satellite capabilities like communications, navigation, surveillance and missile warnings.
- Under these agreements, companies would commit to “to help defend America and its allies,” Kniseley said May 17 at a Washington Space Business Roundtable meeting.
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“Once integrated, you’ll have the option to become a CASR partner, not just in peacetime, but actively contributing to America’s defense,” Kniseley stated.
Incentives extend beyond financial rewards.
- Companies would gain access to threat intelligence, a valuable asset in a rapidly evolving space landscape.
- Contracts will stipulate compensation for “surge capacity” during periods of heightened demand, a crucial detail to hammer out during peacetime “so we’re not negotiating during a war,” he said.
The House Armed Services Committee strategic forces subcommittee’s draft 2025 defense policy bill authorizes the CASR program, which gives the program a significant boost, said Kniseley. “This codifies CASR.” He said contracting actions could begin as early as this year, with initial efforts likely to focus on space domain awareness, or capabilities to track objects in orbits.
“We’ve never done this before,” Kniseley noted. But ironing out the details now ensures a “repeatable process across various mission areas. Getting it right requires starting now.”
China’s ‘kill web’
The CASR initiative comes amidst growing concerns about threats to U.S. satellites. Gen. Chance Saltzman, Space Force chief of space operations, recently highlighted China’s development of a “sensor-shooter kill web” that could endanger U.S. forces in the Pacific.
The success of SpaceX’s Starlink constellation in Ukraine, providing critical communication in a contested environment, serves as a compelling case study, said Saltzman, and underscores the potential of commercial augmentation to support military objectives, he said. “We’re taking those lessons to heart as we build a more resilient space architecture.”
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