“Typically, we will get those space support requests and say ‘how can we best support this campaign?’” Gen. Buck said at a breakfast in April hosted by the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “Typically, in a campaign like this, notionally, it would involve optimizing the precision, navigation, and timing constellation – GPS – and also making sure that our satellite communications systems are queued and ready to support.”In addition to overseeing day to day operations, Gen. Buck is thinking strategically about the U.S. military’s future space capabilities. For instance, the JFCC for Space is tasked with assessing the Commercial Integration Cell (CIC) project. The CIC is a pilot program to determine how information sharing and collaboration between the Department of Defense and commercial satellite operators can be improved. According to our own Tim Turk, who was involved with the program on behalf of Intelsat General, the project “laid the groundwork for sustained, combined operations, and clearly paved the way for an enduring relationship as true mission partners.” As the program continues, the JFCC for Space is establishing a framework for further collaboration. Gen. Buck is also strategizing the best way to beef up the organizations’ intelligence capabilities. “To me, intelligence drives operations, and we have to get ahead of adversary actions,” Gen. Buck said at the breakfast. “Just like every other domain, I need domain awareness: knowledge of who, what, where, when, and why.” To this end, Gen. Buck is working with the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, Lt. Gen. VeraLinn “Dash” Jamieson. Together, they are trying to determine the best way to attract intel personnel to space career fields. Gen. Buck’s efforts to collaborate with commercial satellite partners and achieve an intelligence advantage illustrate his long-range view of the importance of space in military operations. We’re excited to continue collaborating with the military in the future within the CIC and support the 14th Air Force and JFCC for Space under Gen. Buck’s leadership.
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