Lt. Gen. Thomas James, the deputy commander of U.S. Space Command, has emphasized the importance of exercising and building space partnerships among allies before conflict arises. He highlighted the need to be proactive on space-based threats, pointing out that adversaries are developing capabilities to disrupt or deny access to the alliance’s defense systems in orbit.
Register today to join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Defense Summit on July 31 for more insights on space and aerial military technologies.
Speaking at a panel discussion during the recent Prague Space Security Conference, the general mentioned that the command’s “Elements of Victory” framework is one potential avenue for collaboration against adversarial threats.
Maneuverability in Space
Elements of Victory focuses on synchronizing efforts between allies, the commercial sector and academia to gain a warfighting advantage in space.
James stressed the importance of superior maneuverability among allies to deny adversaries such capabilities. “We continue to work with the idea that we can control the timing and tempo that the allies and the joint force need to maneuver in space … and prevent an adversary from doing the same to their advantage,” he said.
The USSPACECOM deputy chief cited the Multinational Force-Operation Olympic Defender as an example of transitioning from plans and discussions to actual operational planning and execution. In the last OOD meeting held in late 2024, France and Germany joined the collaboration, which already includes the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.