U.S. Space Command and United Kingdom Space Command recently conducted their first coordinated satellite maneuver.
The Rendezvous Proximity Operation, delivered under Multinational Force – Operation Olympic Defender, was held Sept. 4 to 12. The allies conducted information sharing and exercises.
“This coordinated maneuver between two allies validated the interoperability that’s foundational to our collective defense,” Space Force Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess, U.S. Space Forces-Space commander and Spacecom’s Combined Joint Force Space Component Command, said. “The confirmation of the [Multinational Force]’s combined military might on-orbit delivers a credible deterrent in the increasingly contested space domain.”
The Spacecom-led coalition unifies combined space operations, should they ever be needed in conflict.
Cooperation between the United States and the U.K. provides a more comprehensive understanding of the congested and complex space environment, Schiess said, as well as opportunities to maintain readiness for major engagements, and ensures safe and responsible space operations.
“The success of this multidomain operation represents the warfighting advantage realized by employing our capabilities and expertise as one unified team,” Space Force Gen. Stephen Whiting said. “Though our opponents may attempt to replicate the value of such cooperation, our partnerships are uniquely defined by not only the mutual goal of deterring aggression but a shared pledge to fight and win shoulder to shoulder, if necessary.”