Space, Cyber, Spectrum Key to New Defense Operations Concept

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey on Tuesday released a new operational concept that reinforces the importance of space and cyberspace to military operations, a point emphasized in the new Defense strategy announced by President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta earlier this month.

The new Joint Operational Access Concept puts even more emphasis on operations in space and cyberspace and adds spectrum and position and timing systems -- GPS -- to the mix. The concept redefines freedom of navigation way beyond the maritime domain to include "nonsoverign cyberspace, space, and the electromagnetic spectrum. U.S. access to and freedom of navigation within these global commons are vital to national interests," the 75-page document says.

The document indicates that the United States could try to dominate operations in these areas well ahead of any anticipated conventional warfare:

"Moreover, because the critical support provided by space and cyberspace

generally must be in place in advance and because many operations in those

domains, especially offensive operations, require significant lead time, space

and cyberspace operations likely will commence well in advance of other

operations. In fact, even in the absence of open conflict, operations to gain and

maintain cyberspace superiority and space control will be continuous

requirements."

Dempsey, in a blog post, said, "This framework describes how we will gain entry and maintain access anywhere and in any domain: land, air, space, sea, and cyber. No matter how formidable our forces, if we are unable to bring our capabilities to bear in any of these domains, we may not be able to complete the mission or meet our nation's needs."

The concept says the United States needs to conduct future operations on a cross-domain basis that melds conventional warfare with the new high-tech domains, which will put a "heavy burden" on increasingly decentralized command and control systems.

Risks involved in this new approach to warfare include budgetary considerations, the document notes. "In its fullest form, this is a resource-intensive concept. The emphasis on cross-domain synergy implies a degree of joint interdependence at relatively low echelons that will demand a robust command and control system and a major investment in frequent and realistic training for those forces."

But the document comes with a warning [emphasis included]: "The concept could be economically unsupportable in an era of constrained Defense budgets."

Risks unidentified in the concept document include the lack of a backup to GPS; space systems that are over budget and behind schedule; and the Army's continuing problems with development and deployment of battlefield communications systems.