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a contract with the U.S. Space Force to help run a “neighborhood watch” in space to monitor for space-based threats like rogue satellites or debris that ground sensors may miss. Under the new contract, Vantor will use satellites it already has in orbit to monitor space and protect U.S. satellites, helping provide a sort of “neighborhood watch” in low earth orbit, the increasingly crowded area of space between 99 to 1,200 miles above the surface, Susanne Hake, Vantor’s general manager for U.S. government, told Defense One in an email.
The program will use “Vantor’s existing imaging satellites on orbit,” she said. “We have 10 satellites, 7 of which can collect space-to-space imagery, also called non-Earth imagery.” Vantor did not disclose the value of the contract.
A brief timeline of new space weapons
During the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union researched potential space-based weapons, but little came of the efforts – other than a lot of radiation from one particularly dangerous U.S. experiment. In 2010, observers spotted two Chinese satellites performing a type of rendezvous in space, the purpose of which was unclear. As former U.S. Air Force officer Brian Weeden observed at the time, Russia soon followed suit with its own satellites that appeared to be conducting “rendezvous and proximity operations” with one another.
In July 2020, U.S. Space Command said Russia was conducting space-based anti-satellite tests. In March 2023, U.S. Space Force Chief Gen. Chance Saltzman told lawmakers that China was also “testing on-orbit satellite systems, which could be weaponized as they have already shown the capability to physically control and move other satellites.”
In March of this year, Space Force Vice Chief See Spy, Page 4
A
TRAVIS AIR FORCE
BASE — Celebrate Salute to Service month with the Travis Exchange’s Veterans Day sweepstakes. More than $6,500 in prizes across 100 items are available with entries available for each prize.
Authorized Travis shoppers can enter 17 different sweepstakes from Nov. 7 through Dec. 7 at ShopMyExchange.com/ sweepstakes.
Prizes include:
n YETI Roadie 48 wheeled cooler, $365 value (one winner).
n YETI Hopper Flip 12 soft cooler, $235 value (one winner).
n 26-oz. YETI Rambler Chug Bottle – Navy, $35 value (10 winners).
n 26-oz. YETI Rambler Chug Bottle – Tropical Pink, $35 value (10 winners).
n 100-oz. CamelBak
M.U.L.E. 12 Hydration Pack, $121 value (five winners).
n McRae Men’s 8 Hot Weather Ultra Light boots, $160 value (two winners).
n Glove Station
$6,500+ in prizes up for grabs for Travis shoppers in Veterans Day sweepstakes Travis Exchange to thank heroes with Vet
The Impulse 2.0 gloves, $29.99 value (one winner).
n Glove Station
The Impulse Versa gloves, $24.99 value (10 winners).
n Rocky RKC050 S2V Tactical military boots, $199 value (five winners).
n Seirus 8039 Heatwave System Combo clava, $24.95 value (25 winners).
n MyMedic TFAK trauma first aid kit, $169.95 value (two winners).
n Bear and Son BlackHawk CQD Button Lock Folder with Plain Edge Knife, $109.99 value (five winners).
n Black Diamond Storm Ops 450 headlamp, $59.95 value (four winners).
n Elite Survival Pulse 24-Hour backpack, $174.95 value (two winners).
n PIG (FDT) Alpha Glove, $44.95 value (five winners).
n Condor Outdoor Summit soft shell jacket, $128.95 value (two winners).
n Vertx Seige tactical backpack, $214.99 value (one winner).
“Travis shoppers can enjoy even more excitement throughout
See Travis, Page 3
Serving Travis Air Force Base and the surrounding community 1250 Texas St., Fairfield, Calif. 94533 707-425-4646 | Fax 707-425-5924
Publishers: Foy S. McNaughton and T. Burt McNaughton
Advertising Manager: T. Burt McNaughton Editor: Todd R. Hansen Layout : Aaron Rosenblatt
US Marines, Panama practice ambush techniques in the jungle
Life decals during Salute to Service
TRAVIS AIR FORCE
BASE — As part of Salute to Service month, the Travis AFB Exchange is handing out free Vet for Life decals to activeduty airmen, retirees and veterans with instore shopping privileges Nov. 15 as a thank you for their sacrifices.
This year marks the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s first Salute to Service month, paying tribute to our nation’s heroes beyond Veterans Day. Vet for Life decals, perfect for displaying on vehicles, laptops, water bottles and more, will be available at 9 a.m. while supplies last at the Travis BX.
“The Exchange deeply appreciates all who serve and have served,” said Travis Exchange General
Manager Cathie Byrns.
“One day isn’t enough to thank our heroes during November, the Travis BX team looks forward to honoring those who serve.”
Salute to Service instore giveaways continue: Nov. 22: Vet for Life patch honors military tradition and reinforces unity and morale. At the Exchange, all who served are Veterans for Life.
Nov. 29: POGs are back! Collectible penny POGs, with servicespecific artwork, were specially designed for Salute to Service month. POGs – cardboard currency – are a military
tradition and now a collectors item. The original POGS go back nearly 25 years to support troops deployed to Southwest Asia in the early 2000s. Giveaways are in-store only for activeduty service members, retirees and service-connected disabled veterans with in-store shopping benefits. Quantities are limited. Shoppers can visit ShopMyExchange. com/SaluteToService for more information or visit the Installation Exchange Facebook page.
Spc. Trey Woodard/U.S. Army file photos
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jevin Wells, a squad leader with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, pulls security at Base Aeronaval Cristóbal Colón, Panamá, Oct. 25. U.S.
Southern Command is focused on increasing partner nation capacity and interoperability in the region and reflects an enduring promise of solidarity with Panama.
A member of the Servicio Nacional Aeronaval applies camouflage to his headgear at Base Aeronaval Cristóbal Colón, Panamá, Oct. 25.
Jeff Morales, left, a member of the Servicio Nacional Aeronaval and a member of the Policia Nacional de Panamá, calls a medevac during the Combined Jungle Operations Training Course at Base Aeronaval Cristóbal Colón, Panamá, Oct. 25.
Experts argue new national security strategy could redefine homeland defense
Tribune ConTenT AgenCy
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
“Defending the homeland” has always been the point of the national defense strategy, experts argue, but the precursors to the forthcoming update hint that the way the U.S. practices homeland defense could be changing.
While deterring China –the top priority listed in the most recent strategies – is seen as part of the larger project of protecting the homeland, current defense planning guidance is more specific about operations on American soil playing a bigger role.
“We’re already seeing that they view homeland defense in this administration as including border security, counter-drug operations, even domestic law enforcement, right?” Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said at a Center for a New American Security event, Oct. 23. “And so if they are changing the definition of what is included in homeland defense – then, yeah, I think those are very different capability sets, things that the military is not used to doing, it’s not necessarily that good at doing, or appropriate or legal to do in some cases.”
Oct. 21 found that recent years’ defense spending has prioritized innovation over actual deterrence of adversaries, leaving a hole in near-term readiness.
fellow who co-authored the report.
To reverse that trend, the Pentagon can shift spending to less-expensive,
quick-turn acquisitions, and away from exquisite systems that take decades to develop and won’t be ready in time to make a
difference on the next battlefield.
The current administration has made some headway on paper, changing policies to allow stockpiling of attritable drones while also standing up a task force to tackle the counter-drone threat.
But with a shrinking defense budget, the Pentagon is on shaky ground to continue making investments in deterrence while also increasing operations stateside, which it professes to prioritize.
“There’s been a lot of reporting about the potential to elevate the homeland,” Philip Sheers, a CNAS research associate and the report’s co-author. “It’s not necessarily a foregone conclusion at all that China cedes priority in that formulation, but there’s rumbling that there will be a different formulation altogether of the strategic priorities of the department in the next strategy.”
While this year’s reconciliation bill brought a one-time infusion of cash, hiking defense spending
up to nearly $1 trillion, Harrison argued that this kind of budget trick isn’t sustainable.
“After the midterm elections, all bets are off,” he said, if party control changes in one or both hours of Congress. “If they want to actually keep advancing these, all of the different systems and programs within Golden Dome, it’s got to be in the base budget. And if they’re trying to keep the base budget flat at current levels, including that Golden Dome funding would require really catastrophic cuts.”
But even with all that in mind, he said, it might be naive to look to the NDS as a guide for how the Defense Department spends money.
“At the end of the day, the National Defense Strategy is a piece of paper, and it’s not worth anything unless the administration actually intends to follow it, to use it as a guiding framework,” Harrison said. “I’m not sure
See Experts, Page 4
The question is how the budget will reflect that shift in priorities. A CNAS report released
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Salute to Service month
“So what we found is that there is a gap between what’s available now and what’s required now to maintain deterrence in the near- and medium-term, and the emphasis that’s being placed on those long-term objectives,” said Carlton Haelig, a CNAS
Dec. 19. No purchase is necessary to enter. All authorized Exchange shoppers, including veterans, Department of Defense civilians and Common Access Card (CAC) holders can enter. Veterans can visit https://aafes. media/paveterans to learn more about their shopping benefit while DoD civilians and other CAC holders can visit https://aafes.media/ cacbenefitspa.
Lance Cpl. Elizabeth Gallagher/U.S. Marine Corps file
Marines place concertina wire along the southern border barrier in Yuma, Ariz., Oct. 9.
Anduril’s drone wingman makes first flight
Tribune ConTenT AgenCy
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
Anduril’s robot wingman has notched its first flight Friday, more than a month after the neoprime defense contractor blamed software woes and a push to make the inaugural takeoff semi-autonomous for the delay.
The takeoff happened at a testing location in California, the Air Force said in an emailed news release. Anduril’s prototype for the service’s collaborative combat aircraft competition has now joined one from General Atomics in going from concept to first flight in less than two years.
“This milestone demonstrates how competition drives innovation and accelerates delivery,” said Air Force Secretary Troy Meink in a statement. “These flights are giving us the hard data we need to shape requirements, reduce risk, and ensure the CCA program delivers combat capability on a pace and scale that keeps us ahead of the threat.”
semi-autonomous.
After General Atomics announced their successful first flight in late
Experts
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that there is any strategy document that will actually frame or constrain or
Spy
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Gen. Michael Guetlein
said the technology gap between the United States and China in space had significantly narrowed, and China was now rehearsing what appeared to be clear satellite military maneuvers, “dog fighting” in space.
These developments have increased demand for space-based intelligence and space situational awareness. But those needs exist alongside the need for more earth imaging generally and, soon, missile interceptor satellites.
To that end, Hake says that Vantor has figured out how to modify its existing satellites so that they can not only collect images of the Earth, but also track space objects to reveal possible maneuvers and proximity operations, or the presence of possible weapons.
“Our constellation is capable of imaging
August, Anduril executives said in September that they wanted to make its first drone wingman flight test semi-autonomous, and blamed the delay on software problems.
Friday’s first flight was semi-autonomous, the company confirmed, and it built the software for the CCA. General Atomics’ drone wingman flight in August was not
“YFQ-44A was not designed to be a remotelypiloted aircraft, and that
is not how we are operating it – from first flight and forever onward,” an Anduril news release said.
“All of our taxi and flight tests have been and will continue to be semi-autonomous. This is a new age of air power; there is no operator with a stick and throttle flying the aircraft behind the scenes.”
General Atomics spokesperson C. Mark Brinkley congratulated Anduril on its milestone.
“This is a really small aviation community, and we all have friends and professional relationships on both sides, so it’s good to see their hard work rewarded with success,” Brinkley said. “It’s been a great week for the Air Force CCA program. Congratulations all around.”
The Air Force’s competitive first increment production design is scheduled to be awarded in 2026. Last month, Lockheed Martin announced it aimed to fly a CCA candidate of its own by 2027 which may compete in future competitions. Additionally, Boeing announced earlier this month it was designing a tiltrotor drone wingman to support the Army’s helicopter fleet.
guide what the president chooses to do on a day-today basis, so I don’t know that it’ll end up being that important.”
In his opinion, he added, the Office of Management and Budget has been driving the Pentagon’s
LEO objects at less than 6-inch resolution and can also support tracking of objects across a much wider space volume. We have imaged objects as small as 24 cm, or about 9.5 inches,” she said. The satellite software can be updated from Earth, and Vantor next is
current budget request more than the Defense Department itself.
“And I don’t think OMB is going to feel constrained at all, or guided at all, by this piece of paper that Bridge Colby is going to produce,” he said.
looking to use automation to speed up the collection rate, allowing for more pictures and faster delivery.
“We’re aiming to collect as many as 1,000 [nonEarth] images a day. Most collections can be delivered in less than 4 hours – and many are delivered within 90 minutes.”
MASONRY
Courtesy photo
A YFQ-42A production representative test vehicle is staged in Poway.
Systems, not silver bullets, key to victory in Pacific
Tribune ConTenT AgenCy
HONOLULU, Hawaii — No single technology can win every battle and fix every problem, the leader of Special Operations Command Pacific said last week. Instead, the “ability to integrate multiple systems, disparate systems, with more open architecture – that is eventually going to win. If you have that sort of single, standalone technology... it’s likely to be cracked, hacked, and eventually overcome.” Remember the Karate Kid movies, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey VanAntwerp urged his audience at the AFCEA TechNet Indo-Pacific conference here. When Daniel learned a crane kick, Mr. Miyagi told him, “If done right, no can defense,” VanAntwerp said. “And that worked in Karate Kid one, but then in Karate Kid two, he goes to Okinawa, to people who are more familiar with the operational environment, and...the crane kick did not work.... He eventually had to go to the spinning drum.”
For SOCPAC, VanAntwerp said the combination
of robotics, autonomy, and resilient networks is “absolutely critical,” because information is useless unless it comes with an ability to make a coherent picture. And whatever combination of systems that might emerge, having
“the ability to disrupt our adversaries’ ability to target us, that is the oxygen that we require in this theater.”
VanAntwerp recounted a Ukrainian SOF commander’s remarks at a recent forum, noting that
Ukraine has been able to deny Russia access to large portions of the Black Sea without a navy, deny air superiority with no air force, and hold the line with a significantly smaller army.
“They’ve been able to
do that through a combination of the ability to see and sense and understand... with some help from partners,” and a network of various unmanned systems, he said. “It’s pretty amazing, and provides a really great
example for us.”
So why is it taking the United States so much longer to adapt? VanAntwerp believes the key reason is “the lack of a tactical imperative” – namely, no American troops are dying on battlefields.
“I do believe this machine, which includes all of you and us, can move incredibly fast when there is that imperative,” he told the audience of industry representatives and troops. “But without it, we tend to, knowingly or unknowingly, we tend to pace ourselves.”
And as officials consider solutions, VanAntwerp said they must also be careful to consider the “cost curve,” he said. With unmanned systems and the networks that enable them, the goal is to either have expendable low cost systems, or expensive highly survivable systems. “If we get caught in the middle, which is where we often find ourselves... that’s just bankruptcy. We can’t afford it.”
