U.S. Army Announces Tactical Space Layer to Expand Military Capability

The U.S. Army announced a plan to use low earth orbit (LEO) satellites to maintain military superiority in all aspects of combat. Described as a tactical space layer, it is expected to provide advanced surveillance, rapid targeting, and unrivaled situational awareness. In addition, the tactical space layer will “further expand long range precision fires and grounded maneuvers in GPS-challenged environments,” thus permitting soldiers to operate in areas in which they otherwise wouldn’t have access.The approval for rapid development of the tactical space layer consists of a multi-disciplinary and cross-organizational approach. As a result, key collaborators consist of the Program Executive Office Intelligence, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC), U.S. Army G-1, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, and the Long-Rage Precision Fires Cross Functional Team. Additional organizations and strategic partners play a role in creating a collaborative framework. “We have been coordinating with our military, national, and joint partners from the start to ensure our ability to provide unprecedented information to theater commanders at echelon,” said Willie Nelson, Director of Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing/Space Cross-Functional Team.