The United States wants to move from film cameras to digital sensors for the overhead observation flights conducted under the Open Skies Treaty. “Relying on old film cameras is no longer adequate,” Rose Gottemoeller, assistant secretary of state for verification, compliance, and implementation, said June 9 at the Open Skies review conference in Vienna, Austria. The US is also studying future Open Skies aircraft options since its current fleet “must be refreshed in the coming decade or flights will no longer be possible,” she said. The Air Force currently flies several OC-135B aircraft in this role. The treaty allows member states to fly unarmed observation missions over the territory of participating nations to monitor their military forces. The US seeks to move forward cooperatively with the other treaty parties since the sensors used in Open Skies must be commercially available to all members. (Gottemoeller speech) (State Department fact sheet)
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
