An Agile and Adaptive Enterprise: Enhancing National Security Space by Improving Management Structures and Leveraging Commercial and International Partners

Abstract

Key asymmetrical advantages the United States derives from space are now being challenged as space becomes an increasingly contested, congested, and competitive environment. The United States is responding to these challenges by placing more emphasis on developing and enhancing appropriate norms of responsible behavior in space, becoming selectively interdependent with state-of-the-world commercial and international space capabilities, attempting to deny benefits from purposeful interference with space capabilities upon which it relies, and imposing costs for degrading or disrupting space capabilities. The United States should move toward a more deliberate, comprehensive, long-term, and consistent approach that draws on all instruments of power from all levels of government, focuses on national security space (NSS) and other critical parts of its space enterprise, and, in particular, crafts better ways to leverage state-of-the-world commercial and international space capabilities. Recommended approaches for addressing these challenges include improving inappropriate or underdeveloped NSS strategies and top-level management structures as well as using strategic partnerships, outsourcing, better export controls, and more international engagement to leverage state-of-the-world commercial and international capabilities more effectively.