U.S. Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein appeared on March 12 before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support to discuss the challenges the military service is facing as it works to fulfill its mission of protecting U.S. interests in space.
More Resources Needed
Guetlein told lawmakers during the hearing that though guardians are performing well and the Space Force is striving to transform into a warfighting service, more resources are needed in order to address the increasingly complex strategic situation in space, which demands capability innovations and faster adaptions, according to a news article posted Wednesday on the U.S. Air Force website.
“I have observed our adversaries’ actions, and they are employing new capabilities to counter our advantage. Our competitors are jamming GPS signals, spoofing and disrupting satellite communications, and developing advanced anti-satellite weapons. Unfortunately, these behaviors have become the norm rather than the exception, creating an increasingly hostile environment and putting at risk our continued freedom in the space domain,” Guetlein said.
Budget Extension
The 2025 Wash100 Award winner also said that having to operate under an extension of the previous fiscal year’s budget would be detrimental to the Space Force’s efforts, noting that his organization is “the smallest force with the smallest budget” and so “any churn in our budget is a huge hit to us.”
A continuing resolution, like the one passed by the House of Representatives on March 11 to keep the government open through Sept. 30, would also prohibit the funding of new capability acquisitions, which, according to Guetlein, makes it difficult to counter emerging threats.
“We need budget flexibility for new start authority, (and) the ability to move money between programs would be hugely beneficial,” the Space Force official said.
