Defense Department and US Strategic Command signed the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) Initiative—a memorandum of understanding with Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom—during a meeting in Ottawa, Canada, on Tuesday. The goal is to strengthen the nations against threats, ensure continued access to space, and maximize their collective resources, according to a Pentagon release. “Coalitions and partnerships represent a necessary step within national security that increases transparency, strengthens deterrence, improves mission assurance, enhances resilience, and optimizes resources across participating nations,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Douglas Loverro. The program’s main objectives are to provide timely and accurate notification of potential threats in space; provide support to partners’ space operations; and to protect and defend “space capabilities while maintaining appropriate levels of readiness,” Loverro said. In addition, the partnership will improve military-to-military relationships, support global space capacity, and promote a better understanding of current and future space landscapes.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.