Senate Hearing: US Strategic Command and Space Command Posture

Evolving Threat Environment

• ⚠️ The current threat environment is described as more dangerous than since World War II, with the US facing two adversary nuclear powers: Russia and China.
• 🚀 Russia is modernizing its nuclear triad and expanding tactical nuclear forces, while China is rapidly expanding its arsenal, now possessing more ICBM launchers than the US and expected to triple its stockpile by 2035.
• 🛰️ The space domain is highly contested, with China and Russia developing counterspace capabilities that put US space assets at risk, including potential nuclear weapons in orbit and maneuverable satellites.

Modernizing Nuclear Deterrence

• 🔑 Stratcom is undergoing generational modernization of its nuclear triad: the Columbia class submarine, the B-21 bomber, and the Sentinel ICBM.
• 💡 The Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) system, referred to as the 'fourth leg of the Triad,' is crucial for nuclear deterrence and is undergoing modernization.
• 🚢 The Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM) remains a critical program to deter adversaries from using tactical nuclear weapons.

Space Command Priorities and Challenges

• 🎯 US Space Command prioritizes securing peace through preparedness for conflict in space, aiming to deter or fight and win.
• 🤝 Spacecom is enhancing threat information sharing through its commercial integration cell and expanding multinational operations like Operation Olympic Defender.
• 📡 Access to critical electromagnetic spectrum bands is vital for both Stratcom and Spacecom missions, with concerns raised about potential detrimental impacts if these bands are auctioned off.

Key Concerns and Future Outlook

• 💰 Modernizing the nuclear triad is an expensive but necessary proposition to maintain deterrence, with concerns about the budgetary 'pig in the python' due to all three legs needing modernization simultaneously.
• 🚀 The B-21 bomber program is highlighted as essential, with a proposed procurement floor of 145 aircraft to ensure adequate bomber force capability for the US and allies.
• 🛰️ The importance of space-based sensors for missile defense, like the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS), is emphasized for tracking advanced threats.