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"If they have leverage in any part of space, I don't think they'd act any differently."
Lt. Gen. Greg Gagnon draws a sobering parallel between Chinese expansion in the South China Sea and what could happen in orbit.
15 years ago: a reef.
Then dirt. Then pavement. Then an airstrip. Then military equipment.
Now the CCP claims territorial rights and regularly engages with Filipino forces in contested waters.
The pattern is clear. Start small. Build incrementally. Claim sovereignty.
"It's important that we recognize that," Gagnon says.

Space is becoming contested. The question isn't whether adversaries will seek leverage, it's whether we'll recognize the pattern.
Hear the full conversation with Lt. Gen. Gagnon on the Spacepower Podcast.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/vBV9X97wd7A

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2X3ZV2aufCgmzutEyKc7Z0?si=AM6Zq67CRzyUIBUyAgASPg

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spacepower-podcast/id1500399200

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What does it take to build combat power when the domain itself is still being defined?

In this episode of the Spacepower Podcast, SFA Founder and host Bill Woolf speaks with Lt. Gen. Greg Gagnon, Commander of Combat Forces Command, about how the Space Force is preparing Guardians to operate in the most contested environment humanity has ever tried to control.

Space is no longer a benign domain. As adversaries develop capabilities designed to contest U.S. operations on orbit, the mission is shifting from support to warfighting. And that shift demands operators who can do more than execute technical tasks. It demands resilience, judgment, and the ability to adapt under pressure.
In this conversation, Lt. Gen. Gagnon discusses:

What "training like we fight" actually means in space operations
How realistic, integrated exercises prepare Guardians for degraded environments
Why integration with the joint force isn't optional—it's the mission
How Combat Forces Command builds readiness through immersive, scenario-based training
The cultural shift needed to move from compliance to initiative
Why leadership expects operators to think critically, not just follow checklists
How after-action reviews focus on learning, not blame
What it takes to sustain combat readiness in a domain defined by speed and competition

From training operators to integrating with combatant commanders, from building culture to delivering effects under pressure, this episode explores how the Space Force is turning technology into combat power through the people who operate it.
Hosted by Bill Woolf
Produced by Ty Holliday

Guest: Lt. Gen. Greg Gagnon, Commander, Combat Forces Command, U.S. Space Force
He leads the training, readiness, and force presentation for space operations, ensuring Guardians are prepared to deliver effects in contested environments across the joint force.

Learn more about Combat Forces Command: https://www.ussf-cfc.spaceforce.mil/About-Us/About-Combat-Forces-Command
Learn more about the U.S. Space Force: https://www.spaceforce.mil/
See the accompanying blog post: [Link]
Join SFA: https://ussfa.org/

Subscribe for more conversations on spacepower, national security, and the future of the space domain.

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The high ground still matters.
It always has.
Lt. Gen. Gregory Gagnon put it simply:
Space is the ultimate high ground.
It lets you:See further.Communicate securely.Project power.
And just like every battlefield before it—
Whoever controls the high ground,controls the advantage.
That hasn’t changed in centuries.
Only the domain has.

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Space isn’t supporting the fight. It’s shaping it.

During recent operations—Midnight Hammer, Absolute Resolve, and Epic Fury—space and cyber forces were the first movers.

They enabled:
Precision strike
Missile warning and tracking
Secure communications

And gave terrestrial forces the freedom to maneuver.

As Gen. Stephen Whiting emphasized in testimony last week—

Space superiority isn’t optional.

It’s foundational to how the joint force fights today.

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“Should an adversary degrade or destroy our space capabilities…”

The rest isn’t theoretical.
Gen. Stephen Whiting spelled it out on Capitol Hill last week:

The Joint Force would be immediately—and materially—impacted.
At the same time, the threat is accelerating.
China’s on-orbit presence has surged to over 1,300 satellites—a 667% increase since 2015, including hundreds dedicated to ISR.

Russia continues pursuing capabilities designed to disrupt U.S. systems—including the potential for a nuclear weapon in orbit.

This isn’t a slow shift.
It’s happening now.

And if space is contested
Every domain feels it.

Land.
Sea.
Air.
Cyber.

Because space doesn’t just enable the fight anymore.
It determines it.

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Orbital warfare.

And it’s not optional.
Maj. Gen. Anthony Mastalir put it plainly:
If called upon
U.S. Space Command must be ready to execute.
Not just protect and defend…
But deny the adversary the use of space.
Because in a contested domain—
Capability without action
isn’t enough.

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