Saltzman: Space Force underfunded for space control, other new missions

The Space Force intends to make defending the military from on-orbit threats a top priority in the coming years. But the service’s top official warned lawmakers that the mission — coupled with a slew of other additional requirements — is challenged by limited resources.

“Despite the dramatic rise in threats and increasing importance of space over the last few budget cycles, the Space Force has experienced shrinking resources. This disconnect between value and investment creates risk for our nation,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said Tuesday during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. “Further exacerbating the situation, the Space Force has been asked to accept new responsibilities and missions forcing tough choices between delayed readiness, reduced capacity and vulnerabilities.”

The Space Force has recently named “space control” as its newest and most important core function. As outlined in the Space Warfighting Framework released in April, the mission requires capabilities and guardians that conduct orbital, electromagnetic and cyber warfare operations to achieve “space superiority” by protecting on-orbit assets and military personnel from an adversary’s space-enabled attack.

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