Space Force Chief Discusses Role of Industry in Augmenting Military Capabilities

Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, the U.S. Space Force’s chief of space operations, emphasized at the Explore 2023 conference on Thursday that there is a need to study how commercial firms can best augment existing capabilities. He added that the service should figure out what functions should be delegated to the military, the government and industry so that “the right kinds of decisions to get the right kinds of services” can be made.

Saltzman, a 2023 Wash100 awardee, explained that the private sector’s various offerings tend to get grouped together as commercial capabilities despite there being meaningful distinctions. Such offerings can range from hardware delivery to launch services.

Saltzman told his audience that commercial firms should keep developing more advanced capabilities because the Space Force will continue looking into how it can capitalize on them, SpaceNews reported.

In recent months, the service has been planning new partnerships with the private sector such as an arrangement that would ensure access to industry capabilities during wartime. The Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve would involve the creation of a backup fleet of commercial firms.