Army doctrine has evolved to match the changing world environment. The doctrinal shift to a force projection Army has profound implications that necessitate the exploitation of space capabilities that will enhance mission accomplishment. This chapter provides an explanation of national, DOD, Joint Staff, and Army space policies. It addresses the external forces and trends that shape Army doctrine in general and at the same time suggests the increased importance of space to the Army as it poises itself to execute national military strategy.
The National Space Policy states that the primary goal of space activity is to ensure the security of the United States. It recognizes the importance of space in achieving national security, scientific, technical, economic, and foreign policy goals. It contains guidelines and implementing actions relative to the conduct of space programs and related activities.
DOD space policy focuses on operational capabilities that enable the military services to fulfill national security objectives. It enumerates three space-related efforts that guide the military services: (1) deter or, if necessary, defend against enemy attack; (2) enhance the operations of US and allied forces by employing space systems; and (3) ensure that forces of hostile nations cannot prevent our use of space. These space-related efforts include protecting the peace and decreasing the incentives for attack and enemy escalation. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Pub 3-14 provides the doctrine and principles by which military forces should plan, prepare, and execute military space operations. JCS Pub 0-2 defines the Army's responsibilities for space operations as follows:
- To organize, train, equip, and provide Army forces to support space operations.
- To develop, in coordination with the other military services, tactics, techniques, and equipment employed by Army forces for use in space operations.
- To conduct individual and unit training of Army space operations forces.
- To participate in joint space operations, training, and exercises as mutually agreed to by the services concerned or as directed by competent authority.
Current Army space policy is consistent with national and DOD policy and stems from an evolution of Army involvement articulates the Army's position and serves as a framework for the Army's future direction in space based on the premise that space products are becoming an increasingly important element of successful military operations. The Army's space policy calls for--
- Accessing national, civil, military, allied, and commercial space products.
- Exploiting space-based assets, capabilities, and products.
- Conducting space and space-related activities that enhance operational support to warfighters.
- Influencing future space system design and developmental initiatives.
- Organizing and training forces to take full advantage of space-based capabilities.
To accomplish these policy objectives, the Army must adapt all the elements of doctrine, training, leader development, organization, materiel development, and soldiers (DTLOMS) to capitalize on the unique capabilities afforded by space systems. In so doing, the Army can successfully exploit the potential of space to support operations and maintain land force dominance well into the twenty-first century.
The Army's space capabilities to support its missions will evolve from the use of ground receivers in the near term to direct satellite-to-user linkage in the far term. The implementation strategy may be summarized as follows:
- In the near term, acquire receivers to take advantage of or leverage currently deployed space system capabilities.
- In the midterm, acquire or develop processors for more complete integration and direct interface with space systems.
- In the far term, influence the development of future space systems that have been totally or partly designed to meet specific Army requirements.
These three phases occur concurrently, not sequentially. To gain the advantages in the mid and far terms, appropriate actions must be initiated in the near term that will result in the desired outcome.
The external forces and trends that have had a major influence in shaping our space doctrine include--
- New military strategy.
- Continued regional instability.
- The broad spectrum of missions.
- Worldwide infusion of advanced technology.
- Declining resources.
- Joint, interagency, and multinational operations.
New Military Strategy
The US has adopted a new, regionally oriented military strategy as a result of fundamental changes in our environment both at home and abroad. Today, the Army must be able to specifically design force packages to satisfy diverse worldwide missions. The new strategy requires the Army to have capabilities unique to this environment--supporting combat operations as well as MOOTW. The transition to a force projection Army from one oriented to fighting Warsaw Pact forces in Central Europe requires development of greater versatility and flexibility. Implementing this new strategy requires the Army to fully exploit the capabilities of existing and programmed systems, including space-based assets.
The international security environment has undergone fundamental changes since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The dissolution of the Warsaw Pact has created numerous power voids, government upheaval, and a period of uncertainty, expanding opportunities for the US and other nations to form new international relationships. While US relationships will center around those nations that share fundamental moral, political, and security interests, the US may enter into coalitions with other nations on short notice. Space systems can provide and facilitate the exchange of information required to support and sustain multinational and coalition operations.
Continued Regional Instability
Political instability, divergent political interests, and economic disparity among and within nations may result in increased economic or political competition, leading to acts of terrorism, insurgency, and regional conflict that involve armed confrontation. To protect US national interests, the Army may be deployed into areas with little or no infrastructure to assist in the restoration of stability and regional balance. Space systems can enhance Army capabilities during operations in remote or underdeveloped regions and may be the only feasible solution to unique requirements associated with this environment and the specific Army mission. For example, space systems can provide an intratheater communications infrastructure when one does not exist or is insufficient to support operations. Likewise, space systems can be used to produce image products to partially satisfy mapping requirements when maps do not exist or are outdated.
Broad Spectrum of Missions
The US will face an increasingly broad spectrum of challenges across the full range of military operations. While the Army's focus remains on the missions of the warfighter, it will assume greater responsibilities for MOOTW, such as noncombatant evacuations, nation building, security assistance, peacekeeping, disaster relief, countering drugs, and search and rescue missions. These operations can have an importance equal to combat operations because they can preempt or prevent crisis situations from arising by reestablishing regional stability. The diversity of these operations provides a special challenge since many will likely be conducted in regions with little or no infrastructure to support the Army. Space-based systems provide options that permit commanders to mitigate conditions that may be found in austere environments.
Worldwide Infusion of Advanced Technology
The infusion of advanced technology into military capabilities will continue. More nations will acquire significant numbers of modern lethal weapon systems and develop more capable armed forces. The proliferation of weapons and technology, including space capabilities, may allow less influential nations to become more assertive in international affairs. The Army must preserve, expand, and exploit its space capabilities to ensure land warfare dominance in the face of spreading technologies.
Declining Resources
The Army's fiscal resources probably will decline over the next few years, resulting in a smaller force. Consequently, the Army must optimize the value of each dollar to ensure a competitive edge in warfare. The Army must be more selective in determining which systems and technologies to pursue in order to hedge against the unknown and to ensure that they develop only capabilities not already available from other DOD activities. Space systems can enhance the Army's operational effectiveness and mitigate the impact of a smaller force. Use of space capabilities will also support the Army's requirements for versatility and agility. These systems have applications in peacetime such as nation assistance, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, contingency planning, and training. They also provide support unique to combat operations.
Joint, Interagency, and Multinational Operations
To protect US national interests, the Army will be involved with other military services, government departments and agencies (for example, Departments of State, Transportation, Interior, and Commerce and the Drug Enforcement Agency), and other nations and their forces. Space system capabilities, such as communications, multispectral imaging, and position/navigation (POS/NAV), enhance interoperability and facilitate coordination during joint and multinational operations. Space-based systems provide the capabilities and infrastructure required to operate in an austere environment. Satellites, when combined with terrestrial communications systems, can provide worldwide responsiveness and the interoperability needed for information exchange. Access to these assets by joint, interagency, and multinational organizations facilitates coordination, standardization, and understanding of intent across the full range of Army operations.
The Army must support requirements that may result from three NMS fundamental demands:
- Peacetime engagement.
- Deterrence and conflict prevention.
- Fight and win our nation's wars.
In addition to these requirements, the NMS has necessitated new Army doctrine as contained in FM 100-5.
US national military strategy continues to be based on deterrence. It emphasizes force projection with capability across the full range of military operations. The Army must be more versatile, providing an increased number of strategic options for the NCA, including the protection of the US, its allies, and deployed US forces. The Army's roles in support of the unified commander in chief's (CINC) implementation of the NMS include--
- Providing forces for forward presence.
- Maintaining combat-ready forces for power projection.
- Maintaining forces for reinforcement.
- Participating in interagency operations and providing support to civil authority.
- Contributing to regional stability through support to allies.
To execute the NMS, the Army must maintain forces to support the projection of US power and influence anywhere in the world. This means that the Army must be capable of full-dimensional operations, employing all means available to accomplish the mission decisively and at the least cost. Campaigns, whether in support of combat operations or MOOTW, will begin and end with the movement of troops and equipment. Land, sea, air, and space capabilities will be employed as part of a joint, interagency, or multinational force to achieve the desired end state, requiring an Army capable of executing different types of missions simultaneously. To accomplish these missions, the Army must project its power and influence from the continental United States (CONUS) or other staging areas to anywhere in the world. Force projection requirements to support this strategy include timely worldwide reconnaissance and surveillance; effective communications and dissemination of information; capability to manage split-based operations; accurate location of assets and forces; and the ability to deny the enemy knowledge of friendly operations, capabilities, or intentions. This strategy requires a new definition of intelligence readiness, calling for the commander to develop broad knowledge on priority contingency areas, update those data bases regularly, and be prepared to drive the intelligence system to surge in support of emerging missions.
The use of space capabilities increases the Army's ability to satisfy these force projection requirements. Space capabilities are a vital and integral component of each of the Army's strategic roles and are important "force multipliers" for operational and tactical missions. Satellites on orbit are mission-ready and responsive to user requirements around the world. The Army can use satellites to acquire and distribute timely information that reduces the level of uncertainty about a given situation or condition without revealing interest or intent. The worldwide presence of space systems enhances stability by permitting the US and its allies to see the area of operations and provides early warning of operations adverse to US interests. This information can be used to support both combat and MOOTW.
During combat operations, Army forces will be employed and synchronized with a wide range of systems and organizations to defeat the enemy. Simultaneous attacks throughout the battle area are designed to seize the initiative, control the enemy's tempo, and destroy his will to fight. At each echelon, deep, close, and rear operations are arranged to ensure the mission is accomplished as rapidly as possible. The earlier Army forces can cause enemy operations to begin to fail, the more rapidly enemy follow-on operations and exploitations are jeopardized, thus limiting the enemy's chance for success.
The importance of MOOTW is increasing. Army forces conduct these types of operations as part of the NMS to prevent or preempt situations that, although less threatening, could eventually affect US access to critical regions of the world, our credibility among our allies, or the confidence of other nations in our abilities and resolve. In the future, development of campaign and operations plans may be based entirely on MOOTW requirements. During MOOTW, space systems provide essential information to support security assistance, nation building, disaster relief, and humanitarian assistance. Satellites also provide the means for assessing disasters, predicting crop growth, and analyzing a nation's infrastructure (for example, lines of communication, sources of energy and power, and trafficability situations). These space capabilities, if implemented, can complement the Army's ability. They support US interests, both at home and abroad, and often are an integral part of the overall MOOTW campaign plan.
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