A seven-nation space coalition is moving from intelligence sharing toward true combined operations, according to the officer who runs US space forces in the joint arena.
Col. Ernest “Bobby” Schmitt, director of operations for US Space Forces-Space (S4S), described the shift at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium on Aug. 11. He said closer coordination across services, allies and commercial partners became necessary as orbit grew more contested.
S4S doctrine rests on four verbs: protect, defend, connect and deliver. Schmitt framed the mission bluntly, saying the command works to enhance friendly kill chains and break enemy ones so adversaries cannot use their space capabilities against allied forces.
Gen. Stephen Whiting, the Space Command chief, designated 2026 the Year of Integration. Allied exchange and liaison officers now sit inside S4S operational planning teams from the start, rather than joining late. Schmitt said representatives from all partner nations are part of every planning effort.
Beyond its own forces, S4S executes operations for Multinational Force-Olympic Defender, whose roster pairs the Five Eyes nations with Germany and France. The coalition is drafting shared concepts for steady-state operations, crises and conflict.
The coalition’s newest mission, Selene, put a Canadian crew in charge and drew on the tracking abilities of all seven nations to shadow a high-interest object through orbit. Whiting called it the most focused combined space domain awareness operation the group has run, and said it will become a standing mission.
