Space and the Theater Commander's War - Statistical Data Included

Joint Force Quarterly, Winter, 2000 by Thomas A. Doyne

A third option is establishing a director of space and information operations forces based on the command and control model of TRANSCOM, a functional command with a global mission that supports unified commands. The command delegates operational control of strategic airlift to the Air Force air mobility command tanker airlifter control center (TACC) while intra-theater airlift comes under the operational control of the joint airborne communications center. Interface is provided by the director of mobility forces, normally a senior officer with both airlift and in-theater experience. The director is responsible for all interand intra-theater airlift issues and works for JFACC. Located in his division is the air mobility element, a forward-deployed element of TACC providing reachback for support and command and control. This arrangement can act as a model for theater-space command and control. It has the same advantages as the component commander model--unity of command, reachback to SPACECOM, and congruence with joint doctrine while resolving the operational control issue.

The director of space and information operations forces must be the senior professional in the field within theater, regardless of service. But the position is likely to be held by an Air Force officer since that service owns and operates the majority of space systems and has the largest space operations career field. This model would more effectively use space support teams and simplify reachback to SPACECOM. The director can be located in JAOC or a joint operations center (JOC), minimizing the impact on the data base. Locating the director within JAOC under JFACC parallels the mobility forces model and will conform to Air Force doctrine. Putting the position in JOC will simplify interfacing with JFCs and utilize joint space support team and information operations cell workspaces. The location should be dictated by the situation.

As in the case of strategic lift resources, satellites traverse between theaters, but the cargo is information (hence the linkage between spacepower and information operation). Whereas airlifters create an air bridge between bases in the United States and JTFs, space operators establish a space bridge that carries information required for battlespace awareness and information superiority. The director will provide campaign planning and coordination to ensure responsive centralized control of space forces via CINCSPACE to bring decentralized execution of spacepower by JTFs.

Spacepower must be incorporated into campaign planning and conduct. Joint Pub 5-00.2, draft Joint Pub 3-14, CJCSM 3122.02, and AFSC Pub 1 must be updated to state that spacepower must be integrated into operation plans as well as situation, execution, and command and control paragraphs of orders used in crisis action planning. Spacepower must be part of JFC intelligence preparation of the battlespace. With tools such as the gravity-critical capability-critical requirement-critical vulnerability model, campaign planners must establish the relationship between spacepower and centers of gravity for combat effectiveness and then apply the operational art to spacepower by integrating it into every phase of a campaign. Joint and service doctrine should be updated to establish a director of space and information operation forces. Whether situated in a joint operations center or joint aerospace operations center, the director will provide unity of effort for the planning and execution of spacepower throughout the campaign. These doctrinal and organizational changes will enable the United States to achieve and maintain space superiority to exploit spacepower on the operational level. This is essential for the Armed Forces in attaining victory over space-savvy enemies.