The Business Of The Space Force

In a striking departure from conventional military doctrines, the Space Force’s newly-appointed four-star Chief of Space Operations (CSO) recently made a groundbreaking distinction from its five sister services, a breakthrough that went largely unnoticed.

“Our goal is perpetual competition,” declared General Saltzman, making one of the most profound policy observations on space deterrence since the Cold War era when the Outer Space Treaty was established. “This means aligning ourselves with the notion that there is no final outcome, no triumph in space because if we do things right, we will never engage in combat.”

He went on to emphasize, “I firmly believe that old approaches, old mindsets are not going to be effective in addressing these new challenges.” This departure from tradition is highly uncommon in the military, especially among high-ranking officers who hold tradition in high regard. However, General Saltzman criticized the outdated methods, stating that they are “too slow, too untimely, and too behind the times to tackle the challenges we face.” Some of us feared that such a space maverick, though desperately needed, might have come too late. Fortunately, he arrived just in time.

General Saltzman perceives the Space Force as distinct from other services in that it must strive for stability to guarantee unrestricted access to space for both government and industry. A closer look at the President’s 2024 appropriation request reveals that two-thirds of the total Space Force funding is allocated to the space industry. This does not include Guardians’ pay and benefits (4%); it does not even cover facilities. Furthermore, operations and maintenance also heavily rely on contractors. This means that over 90 percent of the workforce responsible for accomplishing the Space Force’s mission is led and managed by contractors, rather than uniformed Guardians or Space Force civil servants who oversee their operations. Simply put, the Space Force’s primary focus is business.

The Space Force’s main objective is to engage in a safe, continuous state of competition with its near-peer adversaries. Perhaps our young Guardians can develop the unique leadership skills required at the geopolitical and strategic level by adopting a similar approach. With the US Space industry almost entirely under their control, the contractor workforce, which represents two-thirds of their mission, must be reimagined to foster the perpetual competition necessary for its success.

Achieving this would entail a significant departure from the past, but it is desperately needed. For many of these so-called “franchise programs,” space acquisitions have often been a winner-takes-all game. This approach has also formed the basis of the Pentagon’s flawed cost estimating functions, which prioritize predictability over innovation and value for taxpayers, ultimately leading to skyrocketing costs. Most importantly, this culture stands in direct opposition to what the CSO hopes to achieve with China, the country posing the greatest threat in the coming years. Sadly, very few of the capabilities the government aims to acquire are truly competed for in an open marketplace, except for the work of a few specialized offices like the Space Development Agency.

This necessitates more than an increased focus on education, as General Saltzman reminds us, “we must collectively train like we fight.” We also need to equip ourselves to fight within a rigorous yet constantly competitive environment. Unlike the other services, the Space Force can equip its forces with the same goal of perpetual competition because the commercial marketplace has expanded rapidly over the past decade, providing numerous material options. By teaching our future Guardians how to navigate a regenerative competitive state before they become senior officers, the Space Force will grasp the fundamental principles necessary to develop policies and procedures that ensure the continuous competition of resources and nurture the hybrid space economy, which underlies the majority of their operations.

Presently, the prevailing practice for many of these missions remains sole source contracting, allowing very little competition for best value, quality, or even ideas. Consequently, both Guardians and taxpayers are deprived of their ability to have alternatives.

President Biden recently addressed the graduating class at the US Air Force Academy, stating, “I’ve always believed that America is strongest when we lead, not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.” Regardless of political affiliations, not a single person in uniform today would disagree with this statement. The USSF has a unique opportunity to chart a new and fitting course for the industry, generating substantial savings and innovations for taxpayers and warfighters, and leading by example on the world stage.

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