Space Command leader shares investment priorities | Military Scene | Space

The commander of the U.S. Space Command spoke last week at the Space & Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, sharing the command’s key investment priorities for fiscal year 2027 and its role as the nation’s 11th combatant command. 

Space Command submitted its integrated priority list to the Joint Staff on Aug. 6, Gen. Stephen Whiting told his audience at the opening session of the conference. The document is presented annually by each combatant command to highlight capabilities needed to be successful in the coming years. 

“We need space fires to enable us to establish space superiority,” Whiting said, and enhanced battlespace awareness to conduct advanced space domain awareness operations in support of space fires. 

Other needs are resilient, timely operational space command and control to enhance machine-to-machine connectivity to support decision-making on tactically relevant timelines, space systems cyber defense capabilities required to defend critical space infrastructure from cyber-attack and an assured satellite telemetry, tracking and commanding architecture to operate in a contested environment. 

“But the investment priority I think will most resonate with this audience is missile defeat effects, which will significantly…