Written by: Brig. Gen. (ret) Damon Feltman and Col. (ret) Bill Woolf, SFA CEO & President
Chief of Space Operations, USSF
The recent Mitchell Institute report on the Space Endurance Workshop has sparked negative commentary about the Space Force’s theory of Competitive Endurance and its perceived lack of warfighter focus. While critical analysis and counter viewpoints are essential to refining military strategy, these critiques fail to consider the full scope of the Space Force’s efforts to develop and enhance its warfighting concepts. Furthermore, no one understands the Service’s commitment to advancing its warfighting culture better than Guardians themselves.
Since its inception in 2019, the Space Force has been laser-focused on building a combat-credible force capable of securing and sustaining space superiority. A closer examination of its doctrine, training, and budget priorities makes it clear: the Space Force is taking deliberate action to ensure it can contest and control the space domain, just as the other military branches do in their respective domains.
Space Force’s theory of Competitive Endurance emerged in 2023 and early 2024 and argues it must be able to contest and control the space domain in a prompt and sustained manner. This concept is no different than the Army for land, Air Force for the sky, and Maritime Services of the Navy and Marine Corps for the sea. It is also the essence of “space superiority,” a term long embedded in Joint Doctrine and aligned with other domain-based superiority concepts.
Rounding out their development of the principal, Space Force argues that “Space superiority is…the ability to conduct all-domain operations at a given time and place without prohibitive interference from adversary space or counterspace forces…while also preventing adversaries from using their own [space forces].” The “while also” is a critical nuance. The Space Force is clearly emphasizing that superiority is tied directly to denying the adversary their use of space.
Competitive Endurance also outlines three broad warfighting capabilities the Service must possess to achieve space superiority. First, it must be able to “see” to avoid operational surprise. Next, it must be able to “assess” and understand adversary intent as to deny first-mover advantage. Finally, it must be able to “control” the domain with counterspace campaigning. Observe that none of these three includes space-based services such as “provide satellite communications.” Giving services and effects for the Joint Force will occur in some instances before space superiority is achieved, but as anyone who has participated in a large-scale peer exercise will tell you, joint force commanders prefer to have domain superiority before they begin providing supporting fires and services.
Warfighting and winning are also front and center in the Space Force’s efforts. Throughout his tenure, Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman has emphasized creating warfighting capability and ethos. In one of his first messages to the field, he emphasized fielding combat ready forces when he stated, “Ultimately, the Space Force must field combat-ready forces prepared to outcompete rivals, deter aggressors, and defeat enemies.” Combat Readiness is also the reason why the Space Force redesigned its force generation and presentation model, giving Guardians dedicated time to participate in advanced training, exercise, and wargaming programs.
Most recently at SFA’s Spacepower Conference in December, General Saltzman articulated his 6 Truths about the Space Force, saying, “The Space Force must defend its capabilities for the Joint Force to project power. The Space Force must protect the Joint Force from space-enabled targeting. Space is a warfighting domain. Guardians are uniquely trained for warfighting in, from, and to space.” Surprisingly, the Service Chief received push-back from many for focusing too much on operations and warfighting, and not enough on acquisitions.
Finally, while it can be common for services to write and speak but have little backing the words, the Space Force’s budget priorities for FY25 are clearly aligned with creating warfighting capability and ethos. Recognizing that President Trump and the new Congress want to make significant adjustments to the Biden Administration’s budget submission, the existing request nonetheless underscores Space Force’s warfighting focus: $1.25B for space domain awareness; $2.6B for missile warning; $4.4B for SATCOM; $7.25B for space control; $439M for training infrastructure; and $344M for readiness.
Since its creation in the winter of 2019, the Space Force has benefitted from real top-line budget growth and added capability. Still, more can be done, and some of this “more” is a function of budget priorities. As former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall acknowledged, the Space Force requires two to three times its current budget and authorizations for its missions. But, to argue the Space Force is not properly focused on warfighting capability and creation of a warrior ethos is demonstrably false. The CSO’s Competitive Endurance strategy is still relevant and focuses on warfighting ethos. Because when the Space Force can achieve space superiority over sustained timeframes in a way that preserves “safety, security, stability, and long-term sustainability of the domain,” the result will be Competitive Endurance for U.S. strategic goals.
The Space Force is not just talking about warfighting—it is actively building the capabilities, structures, and ethos necessary to achieve space superiority. From its Competitive Endurance strategy to its budget priorities and revamped force presentation model, the Space Force is taking concrete steps to ensure Guardians are prepared for high-intensity conflict. While commercial partnerships play an important role, there are core military missions that only the U.S. Space Force can and must execute. Dismissing its warfighting focus ignores the reality of its actions. In an era of increasing competition in space, the United States cannot afford to underestimate the critical role the Space Force plays in securing and sustaining strategic advantage.
