By Staff Writer.
Australia’s military is deepening its involvement in space with the stand-up of Australia’s Defence Space Command. Headed by Air Vice Marshall Cath Roberts, Space Command will draw upon personnel across the ADF, Australia’s Space Agency, the public and private sectors.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton announced the stand-up at the Royal Australia Air Force’s Air and Space Power Conference in Canberra on Tuesday. The Minister says the organisation will be a “modest” version of similar space bodies set up by Australia’s allies.
“Space is already contested, particularly as the boundaries between competition and conflict become increasingly blurred,” said Mr Dutton. “We know that some countries are developing capabilities to threaten or degrade space networks, to target satellites, to destroy space systems – countries that see space as a territory for the taking rather than to be shared.”
The Defence Minister called the activation of Australia’s Space Command a necessary endeavor and in the country’s national interest.
“While space is primarily a civil domain, it will undoubtedly become a domain which takes on a greater military significance this century, a domain which is now an operational theatre that provides space-based communications, intelligence, and navigation to the Joint Force,” Mr Dutton said.
The Australian Government laid the foundations for its own Space Command Centre earlier this year. Reporting to the Chief of Air Force, Space Command’s overarching aim is to secure Australia’s strategic space ambitions and access to space.
Defence Space Command has several key objectives. Firstly, the military agency will develop and advocate for space-specific priorities across whole of government, industry, allies, and international partners.
Secondly, Space Command will allow the ADF to create an organisation to recruit, train and sustain skilled personnel and assign trained space specialists to the Chief of Joint Operations when needed.
The agency will also lead on strategic space planning, assist in the development and refinement of space policy, guide scientific and technological space priorities, and define a national space architecture in close collaboration with Australia’s allies.
“Defence Space Command is Australia’s contribution towards a larger collective among like-minded countries to ensure a safe, stable, and secure space domain,” said the defence minister today. “While developing our sovereign space capabilities, we will not only become more self-reliant but also a better ally and partner.”
Mr Dutton also confirmed on Tuesday that Australia and the United States are strengthening their space and military alliances to support their mutual space ambitions. The Minister said Australia’s Department of Defence and the US National Reconnaissance Office will cooperate on a broad range of satellite activities, expanding Australia’s space knowledge and capabilities.
“Our partnership will also contribute to the US National Reconnaissance Office’s pursuit of more capable, integrated, and resilient space architecture to support coverage in a wide range of intelligence mission requirements.”
