WASHINGTON — At a time when space is more congested and contested, Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations for the U.S. Space Force, delivered a blunt assessment of the hurdles facing the military’s youngest branch.
Speaking Oct. 23 via video from the Pentagon to the MilSat Symposium in Mountain View, California, Guetlein laid out the Space Force’s top concerns, from rival powers developing anti-satellite weapons to the difficulties of working with private companies in an increasingly militarized space environment.
Guetlein emphasized that space is evolving into a central domain of warfare, with threats from adversaries like China and Russia mounting. This shift means that the Space Force can no longer act alone and needs to establish closer ties with allies and commercial firms. “We’d better start figuring out how to partner better and how to get unity of effort,” Guetlein said.
He addressed industry frustrations over conflicting messages from different parts of the U.S. government and the assumption that the Pentagon has limitless funding.
“We all have our own opinions,” Guetlein said of Pentagon leadership, Congress, and the Space Force itself. “Our objective is to make sure those messages are aligned, but oftentimes we get separated from each other.” Companies should not expect perfect consistency in government communications, he emphasized.
The general was also quick to dispel a common misconception among defense contractors. “There are no big buckets of money that sit behind my desk, contrary to popular belief,” he said. Like the rest of the Department of Defense, the Space Force is in the midst of a resource battle, trying to meet growing demand for space capabilities with a limited budget. “We are also fighting a resource battle at the same time that we are trying to pave the path to the future,” he said.
Rapid pace of change
In today’s space environment, it’s easy to fall behind,…
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