HASC Quizzes AF Leaders On Space Force Costs

WASHINGTON: Lt. Gen. David Thompson, vice commander of the Space Force, told the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee today that some 80 percent of support costs for the new service will be provided by the Air Force, rather than requiring funding and manpower resources of its own.

Quizzed by Ranking Republican member Rep. Doug Lamborn, Thompson said the goal is to keep as much of the non-specific space services within the Air Force to save money rather than reinventing the wheel.

Getting support from the Air Force for such services — such as those provided by civil engineers, chaplains and judge advocate generals — would allow Space Force to “focus on operations and critical needs,” Thompson said.

He also noted that the specialized Space Force personnel will include experts in space-related intelligence and cybersecurity.

Thompson reiterated that 16,000 Air Force personnel already are assigned to the Space Force; with “detailed plans” being lain for “more than 6,000” personnel slated to formally transfer to the new service by 2021. That number ultimately will be expanded to “more than 12,000 across 15 career fields,” he said.

As Air Force officials have explained on numerous occasions, processes for transferring airmen into the new service are a bit complicated because of the legal need for them to first resign and then re-up as Space Force personnel.

By and large, the HASC subcommittee went easy on Air Force 2021 plans for the Space Force. This reflects what so far has been largely bipartisan support among House lawmakers for the endeavor.

As I reported earlier this month, ranking minority member Rep. Doug Lamborn and chair of the strategic forces subcommittee Kendra Horn told the Space Foundation’s “State of Space” workshop on Feb. 11 that national security space is simply not a partisan issue.

That said, lawmakers on both sides of Capitol Hill are keeping an eagle eye out for spending creep in the Space Force budget. The Air Force has asked for a total of $15.3 billion in 2021 for the Space Force, and listed another $1 billion in unfunded requirements for the new service.

Thompson asserted that the Air Force’s “top policy priority” currently is “building the US Space Force.” Gen. Stephen Wilson, Air Force vice chief, echoed his remarks. “The secretary [Barbara Barrett] has been very clear that her number one priority is to make sure that the Space Force is successful,” Wilson told the lawmakers.

Thompson said the Space Force’s efforts are designed to “protect and defend” current US satellites; field a space architecture that is “resilient under attack;” develop space warfighters; and invest in capabilities to “harden our posture.”

Investments include improving the Space Surveillance Network to monitor threats in space, he said, and fielding new command and control tools. It also includes modernizing the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites with anti-jam and anti-spoof capabilities, as well as for the “family of advanced beyond-line-of-site terminals that provide survivable nuclear survivable communications for our nations leaders.”

The Air Force’s 2021 procurement budget includes some $628 million for two new satellites in the the follow-on GPS III program that carry the anti-jam M-Code signal.

“Assured access to all orbits is also fundamental to sustaining the United States’ freedom of action in space,” Thompson said, noting that the “national security space launch investments” in the 2021 budget are aimed at that goal. The Air Force’s 2021 budget request included $1 billion to buy three National Security Space Launch vehicles.

Unsurprisingly, the HASC members — like those of their Senate Armed Services Committee counterparts today — expressed strong concerns about the KC-46 tanker built by Boeing, and the retirement of the A-10 Warthog.

Democrats and Republicans alike further pressed the Air Force leaders about the large amount of Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funds that are slated for weapon system sustainment, and warned that HASC staff would be submitting a number of detailed questions.

“Typically base budget [funding] is better than OCO,” said Republican Rep. Austin Scott, noting that OCO funding is less stable.

Shon Manasco, acting Air Force undersecretary, demurred on Scott’s questions about exact OCO funding being slated in 2021 for sustainment efforts, he promised the lawmakers that the service would provide all the information requested in written form.