{"id":37183,"date":"2019-12-16T16:00:19","date_gmt":"2019-12-16T16:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/12\/16\/nato-declares-space-operational-domain-but-more-work-remains\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T20:54:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T20:54:25","slug":"nato-declares-space-operational-domain-but-more-work-remains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2019\/12\/16\/nato-declares-space-operational-domain-but-more-work-remains\/","title":{"rendered":"NATO declares space \u2018operational domain,\u2019 but more work remains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The North Atlantic Treaty Organization recently declared that space is an \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/smr\/nato-2020-defined\/2019\/11\/20\/nato-names-space-as-an-operational-domain-but-without-plans-to-weaponize-it\/\" target=_blank>operational domain<\/a>\u201d for the alliance. Though much work remains to actualize an integrated NATO space posture, the affirmation is an important benchmark as NATO scrambles to meet rapidly evolving space and counter-space threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, space-based assets are an Achilles\u2019 heel of U.S. military operations, representing a vital enabling mechanism upon which success often depends. In addition, great power adversaries could target civilian space assets to wreak havoc on the homeland in ways that redound far beyond the military realm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">America\u2019s enemies have taken notice. \u201cForeign governments are developing capabilities that threaten others\u2019 ability to use space,\u201d according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dia.mil\/Portals\/27\/Documents\/News\/Military%20Power%20Publications\/Space_Threat_V14_020119_sm.pdf\" target=_blank>2019 U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment<\/a>. \u201cChina and Russia, in particular, have taken steps to challenge the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia has spent decades building up its counter-space arsenal, from cutting-edge electronic warfare capabilities to probable ground-launched anti-satellite weapons. Moscow believes that \u201cachieving supremacy in space\u201d can enable victory in future conflicts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">China\u2019s People\u2019s Liberation Army apparently agrees. Beijing has also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/battlefield-tech\/space\/2019\/11\/07\/all-systems-go-how-china-plans-to-control-space\/\" target=_blank>identified<\/a> space superiority \u2014 and space denial \u2014 as essential planks in its modern \u201cinformatized\u201d military strategy. Indeed, China \u201ccontinues to improve its counterspace weapons capabilities and has enacted military reforms to better integrate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/international\/2019\/07\/30\/the-next-cybersecurity-concern-for-nato-space\/\" target=_blank>cyberspace<\/a>, space, and EW into joint military operations,\u201d the DIA assessment read.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/outlook\/2019\/12\/02\/nato-secretary-general-alliances-70th-a-time-for-celebration-but-not-for-complacency\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Stoltenberg_NATO_web.jpg_7b8b48.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">NATO secretary general: Alliance\u2019s 70th a time for celebration, but not for complacency<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">NATO&#039;s top official says the alliance is preparing for the challenges of tomorrow across the five domains of warfare.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These threats are already materializing. Russia is suspected to be behind nearly 10,000 GPS spoofing incidents \u2014 affecting over 1,300 civilian navigation systems \u2014 according to <a href=\"https:\/\/static1.squarespace.com\/static\/566ef8b4d8af107232d5358a\/t\/5c99488beb39314c45e782da\/1553549492554\/Above+Us+Only+Stars.pdf\" target=_blank>a report by C4ADS<\/a> released last June. China has also targeted America\u2019s vulnerability in space, notoriously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/chinese-hack-us-weather-systems-satellite-network\/2014\/11\/12\/bef1206a-68e9-11e4-b053-65cea7903f2e_story.html\" target=_blank>hacking<\/a> U.S. weather systems and satellite networks in 2014, after testing an anti-satellite weapon in 2007, which generated a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/3415-china-anti-satellite-test-worrisome-debris-cloud-circles-earth.html\" target=_blank>cloud<\/a> of hazardous space debris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fortunately, NATO is beginning to respond. In June 2019, NATO approved a new space policy, which NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has described as an acknowledgment of NATO\u2019s reliance upon satellites for a range of fundamental military functions. These include, for example, communications, tracking, early warning, surveillance and navigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though only a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nato.int\/cps\/en\/natohq\/opinions_168379.htm?selectedLocale=en\" target=_blank>framework<\/a>\u201d for now, it is an important start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today the U.S. shares space situational awareness data with its NATO allies and vice versa. Yet, there is potential for deeper collaboration in additional areas such as hosted payloads on satellites and communications. And while there is <a href=\"https:\/\/breakingdefense.com\/2019\/11\/raymond-urges-nato-space-ops-europeans-fear-offensive-missions\/\" target=_blank>disagreement<\/a> within the alliance with respect to space weaponization, this tension should not prevent the alliance from forging ahead on a number of important initiatives. Examples include general space-asset resilience (including within the electromagnetic spectrum), space-reliant communication, synchronized threat warning, command and control, and surveillance and reconnaissance. A space sensor layer, for instance, will be critical to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2019\/12\/11\/congress-backs-off-push-for-space-based-missile-intercept-layer\/\" target=_blank>tracking and intercepting Russian hypersonic missiles<\/a>, an emerging threat against which there is currently no adequate defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NATO must take swift action to redress these areas of exposure. But how?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To begin with, NATO could publish a publicly available strategy document analogous to the U.S.-produced National Defense Strategy. This would provide multiyear strategic signposts and, because of its public availability, outside accountability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As <a href=\"https:\/\/atlanticcouncil.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Transatlantic-Space-Cooperation-Report-REDO-FIN-web-092419.pdf\" target=_blank>proposed<\/a> by others, NATO could also run annual \u201cSpace Flag\u201d exercises akin to the current \u201cRed Flag\u201d exercises, which today help hone large-scale, multinational joint air operations. \u201cSpace Flag\u201d could likewise be used to systematically develop and refine space contingencies against red cell adversaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, NATO could explore co-developing NATO-specific space assets from inception, tailored for NATO\u2019s mission and permanently integrated into NATO\u2019s command structure. The United States and Europe\u2019s combined space experience and infrastructure is a comparative advantage vis-a-vis Russia and China. If put to proper use, it could give NATO\u2019s space dominance efforts a significant leg up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, NATO could entertain the formation of a combined NATO-operated space assets pool, to which existing current member states could contribute existing capacity. A <a href=\"http:\/\/www.japcc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/SPP_2012_web.pdf\" target=_blank>study<\/a> conducted by the NATO-sponsored Joint Air Power Competence Centre found it \u201cdemonstrably feasible\u201d to complete multination, multi-satellite constellations. The study suggested such an approach could emulate NATO partnerships related to the E-3A, C-17 and A-400M platforms but would be \u201cpotentially conducive to additional flexibility and innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same report cites the Disaster Monitoring Constellation, or DMC, program \u2014 an existing multinational satellite-monitoring program used for disaster relief \u2014 as an existing example of effectively marshaling space assets. DMC\u2019s shared capabilities \u201creduce cost, enable sharing, and can be upgraded and expanded to address emerging concerns.\u201d So, too, might a NATO constellation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officially recognizing space as an operational domain and establishing a framework for a unified space policy are laudable steps forward for NATO \u2014 necessary to counter both present and future threats. But waking up to the threat is not enough. Now is the time for tangible and urgent collective action to secure the ultimate high ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brad_l_bowman?lang=en\" target=_blank><i>Bradley Bowman<\/i><\/a><i> is senior director for the Center on Military and Political Power with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/andrew_b_gabel\" target=_blank><i>Andrew Gabel<\/i><\/a><i> is a research analyst.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NATO must take tangible and urgent collective action to secure the ultimate high ground \u2014 space.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":35998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":66,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"9":{"categories":["opinion","home","space","battlefield-tech","daily-brief","newsletters"],"primary_category":"opinion"}}},"categories":[66,160,163,121,36,17,23,30],"tags":[8592],"coauthors":[3767,4491],"class_list":["post-37183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-daily-news-roundup","category-military-space-report","category-nato-2020-defined","category-newsletters","category-opinion","category-space","category-smr","tag-china"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"XDD2QG6CTVE6VK6TKSO3337WGM","arc_canonical_url":"\/opinion\/commentary\/2019\/12\/16\/nato-declares-space-operational-domain-but-more-work-remains\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>NATO declares space \u2018operational domain,\u2019 but more work remains - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"NATO must take tangible and urgent collective action to secure the ultimate high ground \u2014 space.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NATO declares space \u2018operational domain,\u2019 but more work remains\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"NATO must take tangible and urgent collective action to secure the ultimate high ground \u2014 space.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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