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Department of Defense

Report to Congressional Defense Committees

Final Report on Organizational and Management Structure 

for the National Security Space Components of the

Department of Defense

August 9, 2018

The estimated cost of this report for the Department of Defense is 

approximately $219,000 in Fiscal Year 2018. This includes $11,000 in 

expenses and $207,000 in DoD labor.

Generated on August 8, 2018 RefID: F-99E2A58
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National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, Public Law 115-91

SEC. 1601. SPACE ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT.

(c) REVIEW OF STRUCTURE.—

(1) REVIEW.—The Deputy Secretary of Defense shall conduct a review and identify a 

recommended organizational and management structure for the national security space 

components of the Department of Defense, including the Air Force Space Command, that 

implements the organizational policy guidance expressed in this section and the amendments 

made by this section.

(2) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than March 1, 2018, the Deputy Secretary of Defense 

shall submit to the congressional defense committees an interim report on the review and 

recommended organizational and management structure for the national security space 

components of the Department of Defense, including the Air Force Space Command, under 

paragraph (1).

(3) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than August 1, 2018, the Deputy Secretary of Defense shall 

submit to the congressional defense committees a final report on the review and recommended

organizational and management structure for the national security space components of the 

Department of Defense, including the Air Force Space Command, under paragraph (1), 

including—

(A) a proposed implementation plan for how the Deputy Secretary would implement the 

recommendations;

(B) recommendations for revisions to appointments and qualifications, duties and powers, 

and precedent in the Department;

(C) recommendations for such legislative and administrative action, including conforming 

and other amendments to law, as the Deputy Secretary considers appropriate to 

implement the plan; and

(D) any other matters that the Deputy Secretary considers appropriate.

(4) PROHIBITION ON DELEGATION.—The Deputy Secretary of Defense may not delegate 

the authority to carry out this subsection.
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REPORT REQUIREMENT

Pursuant to Section 1601(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 

2018 (FY 2018), Public Law 115-91, this report follows the interim report submitted to the 

congressional defense committees on March 1, 2018, and provides results of a review of the 

organizational and management structure for the national security space components of the 

Department of Defense (DoD). 

INTRODUCTION 

Space is integral to the U.S. way of life, our national security, and modern warfare. Although 

U.S. space systems have historically maintained a technological advantage over those of 

potential adversaries, those potential adversaries are now actively developing ways to deny our 

use of space in a crisis. It is imperative that the United States adapts its policies, doctrine, and 

capabilities to protect our interests. Towards that end, the Department of Defense will marshal 

spaces resources into a Space Force. The Space Force will protect our economy through 

deterrence of malicious activities, ensure our space systems meet national security requirements, 

and provide vital capabilities to joint and coalition forces across the spectrum of conflict. 

Presidential leadership, congressional support, and Department of Defense focus have set the 

environment for dramatic improvement of our national space capabilities. The President has 

articulated a compelling vision for a Space Force that protects the U.S. economy and way of life. 

In his remarks at a meeting of the National Space Council on June 18, 2018, the President 

directed “the Department of Defense and Pentagon to immediately begin the process necessary 

to establish a Space Force as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces” that is separate from and 

equal to other branches. The Department of Defense will take immediate steps to implement the 

President’s direction where authorities exist and seek legislation from Congress to realize the 

President’s vision. 

The President’s National Security Strategy and the National Strategy for Space highlight that 

space is a strategic domain and the United States must maintain peace through strength in space. 

The National Strategy for Space outlines four pillars for a unified approach to secure U.S. space 

leadership: 

 Transform to more resilient space architectures,

 Strengthen deterrence and warfighting options, 

 Improve foundational capabilities, structure, and processes, and 

 Foster conducive domestic and international environments for space development. 

Congress has also made its intent and support clear, providing direction and significant funding 

to enhance national space capabilities.
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Establishing a sixth branch of the Armed Forces requires Congressional action. This report 

outlines immediate steps by the Department of Defense to protect U.S. vital interests in space, 

including:

 Accelerate space technology and anchor development initiatives to the modernization 

priorities outlined in the National Defense Strategy,

 Establish a Space Development Agency, a joint organization charged with rapidly

developing and fielding next-generation capabilities,

 Establish a Space Operations Force of career space experts who are trained, promoted 

and retained as space warfighting professionals and who form a space community of 

engineers, scientists, intelligence experts, operators, strategists and more,

 Establish an affordable and efficient operating structure with accountable civilian 

oversight to provide service and support functions for the Space Force,

 Establish a new U.S. Space Command to improve and evolve space warfighting, 

including integrating innovative force designs, concepts of operation, doctrines, tactics, 

techniques and procedures.

THE THREAT

The United States faces rapidly growing threats to our space capabilities. China and Russia, our 

strategic competitors, are explicitly pursuing space warfighting capabilities to neutralize U.S. 

space capabilities during a time of conflict. Other potential adversaries are also pursuing 

counter-space capabilities such as jamming, dazzling, and cyber-attacks. In a May 11, 2017 

Statement for the Record for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Director of 

National Intelligence provided the following assessment of adversary space capabilities and 

intentions:

“Russia and China perceive a need to offset any US military advantage derived from military, 

civil, or commercial space systems and are increasingly considering attacks against satellite 

systems as part of their future warfare doctrine. Both will continue to pursue a full range of 

anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons as a means to reduce US military effectiveness.

“Some new Russian and Chinese ASAT weapons, including destructive systems, will 

probably complete development in the next several years. ... Both countries are advancing 

directed energy weapons technologies for the purpose of fielding ASAT systems ... [and] 

continue to conduct sophisticated on-orbit satellite activities such as rendezvous and 

proximity operations, which are likely intended to test dual-use technologies with inherent 

counterspace functionality.

“The global threat of electronic warfare (EW) attacks against space systems will expand in the 

coming years in both number and types of weapons. Development will very likely focus on 

jamming capabilities against dedicated military satellite communications (SATCOM), 

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging satellites, and enhanced capabilities against Global 
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Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as the US Global Positioning System (GPS). 

Blending of EW and cyber-attack capabilities will likely expand in pursuit of sophisticated 

means to deny and degrade information networks.” 

STRATEGIC CONTEXT

The Department of Defense has two broad objectives in space:

 Protect U.S. vital interests in space – ensure unfettered access to, and freedom to operate 

in space, in order to advance America’s security, economic prosperity, and scientific 

knowledge; and

 Deploy next-generation capabilities to support the warfighter.

The National Defense Strategy focuses on space as a warfighting domain and a modernization 

priority. Space capabilities are foundational to other critical DoD modernization efforts 

including: 

 Nuclear forces, 

 Cyberspace, 

 Command, control, communications, computers and intelligence, surveillance, and 

reconnaissance (C4ISR),

 Missile defense, 

 Joint lethality in contested environments, 

 Forward force maneuver and posture resilience, 

 Advanced autonomous systems, and 

 Resilient and agile logistics. 

Furthermore, new space capabilities will unlock innovative operational concepts as the 

Department anticipates the implications of new technology on the battlefield and enables 

Dynamic Force Employment to increase U.S. flexibility and complicate adversary planning.

DOD SPACE VISION

DoD will usher in a new age of space technology and field new multi-domain systems in order to 

deter and if necessary degrade, deny, disrupt, destroy, and manipulate adversary capabilities to 

protect U.S. interests, assets, and way of life. This new age will unlock growth in the U.S. 

industrial base, expand the commercial space economy, and strengthen cooperation with our 

allies and partners.
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To accomplish these goals, the Department will harness a blend of commercial and government 

technology, rapid prototyping, experimentation, collaboration with key allies and partners, and 

enhanced government-commercial relationships.

Department capability development efforts will focus on:

 Persistent global surveillance for advanced missile targeting,

 Indications, warning, targeting and tracking for defense against advanced missile threats,

 Alternate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) for a GPS-denied environment,

 Global and near-real time space situational awareness,

 Development of deterrent capability,

 Responsive, resilient, common ground-based space support infrastructure (e.g., ground 

stations and launch capability),

 Cross-domain, networked, node-independent battle management command, control, and 

communications (BMC3), including nuclear command, control, and communications 

(NC3), and

 Highly-scaled, low-latency, persistent, artificial intelligence-enabled global surveillance.

SPACE FORCE

President Trump directed the establishment of a Space Force to better protect U.S. vital interests 

in space. Like the other military branches, the Space Force will organize, train, and equip forces 

to protect national security interests in the physical domain of space. The Space Force will 

accelerate and unify the Department’s space efforts and enable the delivery of next-generation 

space capabilities faster than potential adversaries can evolve. The Space Force will grow the 

world’s most capable national security space workforce. These efforts set the foundation for 

growth, mission expansion, and service structure to meet man, train, and equip responsibilities.

Change

Establishing the Space Force will be multi-dimensional and phased. In this first phase, using

existing authorities, the Department of Defense will establish several of the component parts of 

the Space Force. The second phase requires Congress to combine these components into the 

sixth branch of the Armed Forces. The Department of Defense is immediately pursuing four 

components:

 Space Development Agency – capabilities development and fielding,

 Space Operations Force – developing space leaders and joint space warfighters, 

 Services and Support – leadership and support structures, and

 Space Command – developing Space Force warfighting operations to protect U.S. 

national interests. 
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First, DoD will establish a Space Development Agency to develop and field space capabilities at 

speed and scale. The Air Force has already begun to transform its Space and Missile Center 

(SMC). The Department will accelerate and extend this transformation to all services by 

creating a joint Space Development Agency.

Second, the Department will develop the Space Operations Force to support the Combatant 

Commands. These joint space warfighters will provide space expertise to combatant 

commanders and the Space Development Agency, and surge expertise in time of crisis to ensure 

that space capabilities are leveraged effectively in conflict.

Third, the Department will create the governance, services, and support functions of the Space 

Force. Many of these will require changes to U.S. law. The Department will build a legislative 

proposal for Congressional consideration as a part of the Fiscal Year 2020 budget cycle.

Fourth, the Department will create a U.S. Space Command, led by a four star general or flag 

officer, to lead the use of space assets in warfighting and accelerate integration of space 

capabilities into other warfighting forces. U.S. Space Command will be responsible for directing 

the employment of the Space Force.

Priorities

The Department is focused on aligning existing capabilities and accelerating new warfighting 

capability. The Department will:

 Ensure unfettered access to, and freedom to operate in space,

 Improve space support to Combatant Commands,

 Center on speed and urgency, including scalability and development of breakthroughs,

 Accelerate capacity and capability,

 Leverage DoD-enterprise support and service functions such as recruiting, facilities 

management, and medical rather than establishing redundant ones,

 Consolidate existing authorities for DOD space activities, and

 Minimize duplication of effort and eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies.

Timing

Outlined below are steps toward the Space Force that are within the Department’s current 

authorities and will be taken in the coming months. A legislative proposal for the authorities 

necessary to fully establish the Space Force as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces will be 

submitted with the President’s Budget for FY 2020 to support Congressional consideration in the 

FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. 
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SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY 

History demonstrates that strong technical competence and leadership, concentration of 

resources, and abeyance of bureaucracy produce exceptional results. Examples include General 

Bernard Schriever’s development of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Admiral 

Hyman Rickover’s development of the Navy’s nuclear enterprise, the development of missile 

defense through the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) and then the Missile 

Defense Agency (MDA), and more recent models like the Joint IED Defeat Organization 

(JIEDDO). 

Change

To achieve a similar breakthrough, the Department will:

 Identify opportunities to move from dependence on a few independent assets to a 

proliferated architecture enabled by lower-cost commercial space technology and access,

 Shift from an acquisition organization and mindset to a development organization 

focused on experimentation, prototyping, and accelerated fielding, and

 Change from a matrixed and overlapping structure to a concentrated and decoupled 

structure to generate speed.

The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (AFRCO) provides a model for the thinking, execution 

style, reporting structure, and innovation required for creating warfighting dominance. 

Similarly, the DoD Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) has delivered exceptional results in 

leveraging existing DoD technologies to rapidly field new capabilities. The Department will 

create a Space Development Agency with similar style and intent to achieve the above described 

change. 

Some existing space acquisition programs may remain in current service organizations, which 

should aggressively pursue improved performance, while the Space Development Agency 

develops and fields the capabilities outlined in the DoD Space Vision. Resources will shift from 

service space acquisition organizations to the Space Development Agency as soon as practicable. 

Priorities

In establishing the Space Development Agency, the priorities are:

 Bold breakthroughs designed to obsolesce our competitors,

 Technology maturation and systems engineering,

 Lean engineering, manufacturing, and support,

 Industrial base expansion, 

 Streamlined development and acquisition process, and

 Increased acquisition cooperation with the National Reconnaissance Office.
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The DoD Space vision is a family-of-systems. These systems must be engineered for simplified 

growth, ease of integration and test, and continuous modernization. This will rely heavily on 

engineering re-use, modularity, and spiraled functionality. Based on the evolution of capability, 

the Space Development Agency will deploy a production system that has increasing volume, 

standardization, and speed. The commercial space industry will have a greater role as 

commercial and government entities “move toward the center” on requirements, regulation, and 

compliance.

Timing

Today the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) executes 85 percent of the 

Department’s military space procurement budget, delivering missile warning; positioning, 

navigation, and timing; satellite communications; space situational awareness; and other vital 

national security space capabilities. 

In anticipation of major restructuring, the SMC conducted a year-long, comprehensive 

assessment and redesign of its organization and processes. This assessment yielded a change to 

the enterprise called “SMC 2.0”. SMC 2.0 drives innovation, speed, and affordability. It focuses 

investment in game-changing technologies, simplifies decision making and leverages 

commercial partnerships in concert with rapid prototyping and experimentation. SMC 2.0 is the 

start. 

The formation of the Space Development Agency is predicated on the synergistic integration of 

the current space development enterprise. Next steps include:

 Budget and program segmentation and overhead allocations (led by Comptroller and the 

Director, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation),

 Streamline current operations to focus on execution (led by a senior SMC leader),

 Ensure oversight, integration, and fielding of classified space capabilities (led by SMC), 

and

 Identify synergy between Title 10/Title 50 organizations (led by the Under Secretary of 

Defense for Policy).

DoD leadership will establish the Space Development Agency and will identify the governance, 

structure, location, skills, and talent-management required. The end state of the Space 

Development Agency will be developed in partnership with the Military Services and the 

intelligence community and report to an accountable civilian.

SPACE OPERATIONS FORCE

Today all five Military branches possess space expertise, but this space cadre is a small 

percentage of the total force. Historically, the Department has grown capability such as Special 

Forces, cyber, or medical, through identification, targeted support, training, and career 

development. 
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Change

To grow the needed joint warfighting expertise, the Department will establish the Space 

Operations Force. Similar to Special Operations Forces personnel provided by all Military 

Services, the Space Operations Force will be composed of the space personnel from all Military 

Services but developed and managed as one community. The Space Operations Force will 

provide the human capital needed to develop, field, and integrate space capabilities into multidomain warfighting. 

The Space Operations Force will:

 Include the space personnel from all Military Services, including Guard, Reserve, and 

civilians,

 Create a clear career track for the space community containing all relevant space 

specialties including operations, intelligence, engineering, science, acquisition, cyber, 

etc., and

 Be overseen by U.S. Space Command with civilian oversight from the Office of the 

Secretary of Defense, while personnel remain in the Services, until the establishment of 

the Space Force.

Priorities

The Space Operations Force will:

 Develop the world’s best space operations, intelligence, engineering, science, acquisition, 

cyber personnel and present them to COCOMs. Be prepared to deploy teams of space 

experts to U.S. European Command and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command no later than 

summer of 2019,

 Scale over time to support continuous rotational presence at combatant commands, 

 Be prepared to surge expertise forward in time of crisis,

 Grow the number and quality of space-rated personnel to meet the warfighting needs of 

U.S. Space Command and other combatant commands, and

 Develop standards that DoD personnel must meet to be Space Operations Force

members.

Timing

Work on the Space Operations Force begins immediately and will leverage existing work of the 

services:

 U.S. Space Command, under accountable civilian oversight, will be responsible for 

developing the Space Operations Force,

 DoD will integrate space capabilities and requirements into all required senior military 

leadership courses,
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 DoD may recommend any necessary additional authorities, systems, or designations to 

enable oversight similar to U.S. Special Operations Command of Special Forces 

personnel, and

 DoD will establish human capital development processes, including updates to the 

curricula of all service academies, a joint school house, and identifying additional 

education strategies, to ensure a robust supply of joint space warfighters.

SERVICES AND SUPPORT

Transition and timing to a sixth branch is paced by scaling and effectiveness of the Space 

Defense Agency and Space Operations Forces. To ensure a rapid and seamless transition, 

conditions and provisions must be identified and set in place.

In addition to warfighting, acquisition, and personnel, there are support functions that each of the 

existing Military Services provide with some variation. These capabilities include: 

 Recruiting,

 Legal,

 Financial management,

 Logistics,

 Medical, and

 Human resources.

Change

As a part of the Department’s legislative proposal for the Space Force, the sixth branch of the 

Armed Forces, the Department will outline how to provide these services and support. 

Priorities

Services and support functions of the Space Force will: 

 Have accountable civilian leadership,

 Enable the Space Force to be a lean, warfighting organization,

 Not add significant or costly headquarters or support personnel, and

Timing

Revising title 10 of U.S. Code to establish service and support functions and leadership 

authorities of the Space Force as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces will be the focus of the 

legislative proposal submitted by the Department in early 2019.
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U.S. SPACE COMMAND

Like other military services, the Space Force will be an organize, train, and equip (OTE)

organization responsible for national security interests in the physical domain of space. The 

President recognizes that additional changes beyond OTE are needed to improve and evolve the 

Department of Defense’s space warfighting components. To achieve this, the Department of 

Defense will elevate and enhance its space warfighting activities. The innovations that occurred 

between World War I and World War II created many of the key technologies and capabilities, 

such as the aircraft carrier, that enabled U.S. and Allied victory in World War II. The leadership 

of the new U.S. Space Command will provide that spirit of innovation and experimentation 

combining warfighters and technical expertise. The National Defense Strategy identified the 

importance of “being strategically predictable, but operationally unpredictable” and fostering a 

competitive mindset in order to “out-think, out-maneuver, out-partner, and out-innovate” 

potential adversaries. 

Change

To further accelerate warfighting capability, the Department recommends creating a new U.S. 

Space Command to become a unified combatant command. U.S. Space Command will be 

responsible for preparing for and deterring conflict in space and leading U.S. forces in that fight 

if it should happen.

U.S. Space Command will: 

 Lead U.S. warfighting activities in space and establish unity of command for operational 

space forces,

 Integrate space planning and operations across military campaigns and contingency 

plans,

 Simplify the command structure by aligning operational forces to the commander 

responsible for joint space warfighting,

 Develop space doctrine, concepts of operation and space tactics, techniques and 

procedures (TTPs), 

 Establish enterprise space standards to be adopted by the Military Services, ensuring 

interoperability of the joint force, and

 Utilize commercial practices and digitization to streamline the footprint and automate 

labor-intensive operations.

Priorities

U.S. Space Command priorities will include:

 Designing and executing a full range of joint space training and exercises, with focused 

support to the Asia Pacific Security Initiative and the European Deterrence Initiative,

 Ensuring modernization meets the requirements of the National Defense Strategy,
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 Providing space expertise to other combatant commands and strengthening partnerships 

with our allies,

 Monitoring development, training, and management of personnel in the Space 

Operations Force, and

 Operating a flat and lean headquarters focused on joint warfighting.

Timing

The Department will recommend that the President revise the Unified Command Plan to create 

the new U.S. Space Command by the end of 2018 and evaluate the need for any additional 

personnel, responsibilities and authorities. Initially the Department will recommend that the Air 

Force Space Command commander be dual-hatted as commander of the unified command. 

Subsequent commanders will be single-hatted.

The Department will provide combatant commanders with continuous joint space expertise. 

These space personnel will allow commanders the ability to use space capabilities to deter and 

respond to escalating conflict. The Department will examine U.S. Special Operations Command 

(USSOCOM) and U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) to develop a lean, flat structure for 

U.S. Space Command. 

U.S. Space Command will deliver increased space expertise to other combatant commands:

 Teams of experienced space operators will staff each combatant command to educate 

senior leaders on space contributions to deterrence and warfighting. 

 U.S. Space Command will expand the capacity to forward deploy space expertise on a 

surge basis to enhance effectiveness in times of crisis.

WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT SYNERGY

The National Space Council, under the leadership of the Vice President, and the National 

Security Council will continue to integrate and ensure a whole-of-government approach to 

achieving the President’s vision. Although most of the national security space enterprise resides 

within the Department of Defense, as the Space Force is established and grows whole of 

government considerations include:

 Improved integration with other space organizations across the intelligence community, 

particularly shared organizations including the National Reconnaissance Office and 

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency,

 Coordination with other U.S. Government departments and agencies that have space 

missions, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and 

the Department of Commerce.
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LEADERSHIP / GOVERNANCE

The Department will immediately implement the actions in this report that fall under the 

authority of the Secretary of Defense. To ensure rapid implementation of these efforts, the 

follow-on actions will be addressed by a governance committee led by the Deputy Secretary of 

Defense and including: the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of the Air Force, 

the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, the Under Secretary of Defense for 

Research and Engineering, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the 

relevant combatant commander (first USSTRATCOM and then U.S. Space Command), the 

Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and the Under Secretary of Defense for 

Policy. As work progresses, these leaders will also engage with DoD stakeholders including 

Military Service leadership and interagency partners to ensure the final Space Force is well 

integrated with the whole of government. This governance committee will ensure civilian 

oversight of the process and a clear proposal for civilian oversight in the final legislative 

proposal.

These senior leaders will be responsible for the following:

 Establishing accountable civilian oversight for the Space Force,

 An operating model and reporting structure of the Space Development Agency, 

 Establishment of U.S. Space Command,

 Identifying and consolidating current space entities to establish the Space Force 

components,

 Developing the leadership structure and identifying the leadership candidates, 

 A legislative proposal for the required authorities for the Space Force, and

 Identifying the budget structure that includes transitions to a Space Development Agency

and U.S. Space Command.

BUDGET

The President’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget will be sent to Congress in February 2019. The 

Department will submit a legislative proposal for the Space Force as the sixth branch of the 

Armed Forces and identify the budget elements that will move under the Space Force once it is 

fully established. Additionally, any costs associated with the establishment of the Space Force 

will be outlined.

CONCLUSION

Leadership and critical alignment within the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch 

provide a window of time to drive significant change in the space enterprise and establish a new 

Space Force with a generational leap forward in capability.
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The Space Force will follow the National Defense Strategy to accelerate new capabilities. This 

will grow the commercial space industry and protect U.S. vital interests. 

The pace of change will be governed by technology – not held back by organization. The new 

Space Development Agency will scale the skills, mindset, and approach of DoD innovative 

organizations like the Strategic Capabilities Office and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office 

to develop capabilities at speed, and marry commercial technology and industry with 

government development. The new U.S. Space Command will merge this new technology with 

warfighters dedicated to innovating, experimenting and evolving the Department’s warfighting 

concepts. The Space Development Agency will first integrate with the Space Operations Force

and eventually with service support functions and authorities to become the Space Force. 

The Space Force will unlock our potential and lead to outcomes never before thought possible.