Rogers praises creation of Space Force

December 17, 2024 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-Saks), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, delivered remarks at a CSIS Aerospace Security Project event reflecting on the Space Force's accomplishments and mission five years after its creation..

"It's hard to believe five years have passed since we created the Space Force," said Chairman Rogers. "That period of time around its creation was certainly unique. Complete with a Netflix series to poke fun at it and a lot of jokes being made by folks not plugged into our world. Well, that T.V. series isn't around anymore, and neither are the jokes. People have come to realize the very real threats that exist in space and the compelling need for a Space Force."

"There has been a roughly 400% increase in the number of satellites, driven primarily by commercial companies," said Rogers. "Tens of billions of dollars of private investment are fueling bold innovation. And the fabric of space is extending deeper into the joint force, as well as our daily lives. I believe we are entering a new "Apollo-like" era for space and I'm excited about the future."

"Russia's invasion of Ukraine started with cyber-attacks of commercial space ground infrastructure," said Rogers. "This was followed by persistent GPS jamming, demonstrating what many had warned about 5 years ago. That future conflicts would extend to space. No adversary understands that better than China. China has continued an unprecedented run to deploy systems on orbit designed to remove our space advantages. They will also enable the Chinese military to track and target our joint force. General Saltzman recently described this pace of Chinese activity as "mind boggling" And they show no sign of slowing down."

"The Space Force has its work cut out for it, but they're not going it alone," said Rogers. "Congress will be a partner. We will continue providing the policies and resources to ensure the US is leading and strengthening our posture in space. So, let's get into some areas of focus as we look to the future. I'll start with people, and I'll be blunt - the Space Force needs to grow. When we stood up the service, we called for a small, agile force. At that time, the focus was to get them on their feet and running. We addressed issues like having their own budget, personnel, and promotion structure."

"Now, it's time for us to increase the size of the force to meet the growing threats," said Rogers. "This increase needs to include both enlisted and civilian guardians as well as, junior officers, and general officers. I know some of my friends in Congress are violently opposed to any growth as just increasing overhead. But if we want to have a Space Force capable of doing what the nation expects, it has to have enough people, and the right people to carry out it's mission."

"As we push to increase the size of the Space Force, we must make sure we are "developing" our guardians," said Rogers. "When it comes to guardians it's about quality AND quantity. We need to give them the skills they will need to support a technology-driven force. Both Generals Saltzman and Raymond have done a great job building a war-fighting culture and normalizing space as part of the joint fight."

"A deep understanding and connection with technology is at the core of the Space Force," explained Rogers. "Operators, acquisition, intel, and cyber professionals must all be on equal footing. The future of the Space Force will depend on its ability to both nurture these unique specialties and tribes, while also creating a unified fighting force."

"Space warfighting is a highly technical affair," said Rogers. "But don't expect Congress to just throw more money at doing things the way we always have. We must approach acquisition differently. We can no longer afford to wait 8+ years to develop requirements, and conduct long drawn-out competition processes. Nor can we afford these endless cost-plus development contracts. Fortunately, progress is being made. Secretary Calvelli for his part has worked to expedite things by emphasizing fixed priced contracts. And SDA has taken advantage of many of the acquisition methods authorized by Congress for just this purpose. Our commercial space sector, the envy of the world, is investing billions in new infrastructure and manufacturing. This includes modern technologies such as AI, autonomy, and more."

"Operating in space is very different than operating in any of the other domains," said Rogers. "The testing and training protocols that are tried and true for a new ground combat vehicle or an upgraded F-16 are not an option for space systems. Guardians typically cannot take these systems out for a "spin" and get comfortable with how they operate during peace time. The Space Force needs to develop tactics, techniques and procedures that they then turn into training courses for future guardians. Many of the limiting factors that contribute to this disconnect come from the demands of distance and the space domain itself. We must do our best to establish the test ranges, realistic simulators, and capabilities we need to ensure our dominance in space."

"We must continue to aggressively push against the many policy and classification barriers that remain as relics of the Cold War," said Rogers. "There are Presidential policy directives, Defense Department directives, Joint Staff instructions, and on and on that need updating. Many of these documents never considered more players than the U.S. and Russia in space, much less the existence of a Space Force. We have to address this so that the public better understands the threats and the investments we need to make to mitigate them."

Congressman Mike Rogers has represented Alabama's Third Congressional District since 2002. Prior to his congressional service, he represented Calhoun County in the Alabama House of Representatives where he rose to the rank of House minority leader. He has also been a Calhoun County commissioner. He is an attorney.

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