US Revving Up Partnerships With Allies in Space Domain

Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein, commander of the Space Systems Command, disclosed several U.S. initiatives to step up partnerships with its allies in the space domain, where there are shared threats as well as economic opportunities. 

Speaking at the AFCEA Space Industry Days conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Guetlein said the U.S. has already partnered in space projects with 28 countries, with the majority sealed during the last 18 months. 

Further discussions are scheduled at the International Reverse Industry Days on Oct. 27 in Chantilly, Virginia, where SSC officials will meet with their counterparts from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and Japan, SpaceNews reported.

According to Guetlein, the Space Warfare Analysis Center has invited U.S. allies into talks about the U.S. Space Force’s future satellite architecture design.

The SSC commander added that creating common interface standards has also been discussed with international allies, given the shared concerns about space debris, cyberattacks and anti-satellite weapons.

 Guetlein also disclosed that Australia will receive the first U.S. sale of the Counter-Communications System satellite jammer.  He predicted that the estimated $570.5 million in military sales of space hardware to allies in 2022 will soar to over $4 billion in the next 12 to 24 months.