Failing to pass a defense budget is a self-inflicted wound in the space race

As we have learned from the current conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, space-enabled capability has become critical to all we do in the military. It is persistent (always there) and operates in denied areas (first in the battlefield). These capabilities provide critical combat effects: intelligence, missile threat warning, rapid communications and necessary and amazingly accurate navigation and timing. 

Obviously, our adversaries know this and threats to these critical space systems are rapidly growing. The United States Space Force knows this and has proposed rapid responses that require funding and the supporting manpower to execute these new solutions. Speed is critical to get these solutions in place in a time relevant fashion. The White House budget proposal would provide a historic and necessary increase to the Space Force. This comes in a time when the threats to our nation by Russian and Chinese hypersonic and hypersonic glide missiles that can be launched from anywhere in the world from mobile launcher, aircraft, submarines, ships and even space itself are rapidly increasing. More importantly, China and Russia have developed systems capable of negating our space systems through direct ascent ASAT, co-orbital ASAT threats (kinetic, cyber, jamming, spoofing and even kidnapping), and even more concerning have threatened the deployment of nuclear armed space based anti-satellite systems.

The Space Force is locked, loaded and prepared to respond. The White House budget provides critical funding and manpower to accelerate some existing capabilities (surveillance, reconnaissance and resilient, proliferated constellations) and develop new capabilities. These significant funding and manpower increases would take the Space Force to a budget of $70 billion with significant manpower increase.

The Space Force is ready for this ramp up. However, a continuing resolution (CR) would crush its ability to accomplish this successfully. While it is true the Space Force is operating at a budget of $40 billion, $12 billion of that is through reconciliation. A CR would take them back to their base budget of approximately $28 billion causing a downsizing, the opposite trajectory of what they need to do. This reverse in trajectory will cause irreparable harm to their necessary move to counter current threats. 

A CR is a temporary measure that would fund the Space Force at its previous fiscal year funding level. While CRs prevent immediate government shutdown, this specific CR would come at the absolutely worst time for the critical mission of the Space Force, and it will create significant lasting problems for national security while creating financial inefficiency and waste. The loss of efficiency will push modernization of much needed systems further down the road at a time when schedule is critical. The major problems caused by a CR are:

1. Without special approval, new starts are prohibited under a CR. This will significantly hinder the ability to adapt to the new challenges in space. It will freeze the necessary Space Force modernization push by preventing the start of critically needed operation facilities, new space systems and the ramp up of systems production. The loss of these critical funds could also occur through the inability to use the funds until they expire or are taken in spring program review, preventing initialization of desperately needed new programs for defense of our space systems that are under immediate threat. 
2. The hiring of new personnel would be capped at current levels. Just as the Space Force is beginning the necessary ramp up in hiring to grow to necessary levels resulting in a capping at current levels, which are woefully inadequate. This cap will create huge untenable staffing gaps for an already stressed Space Force. 
3. A CR would create operational uncertainty. Because CRs are temporary, the Space Force will not be able to make long term cohesive plans and the necessary operational approaches they have developed will be crushed. 
4. Misaligned funding. Programs that no longer need funding continue to receive it. Programs requiring resources to proceed with development remain dormant.
5. A CR would inevitably reduce purchasing power of appropriations due to inflation while waiting for the real budget. Even low levels of inflation dilute the purchasing power of the appropriations while the government operates under a CR.

Perhaps worst of all, a CR gives up valuable time that we cannot get back. While our efforts to modernize stalls during a CR, our adversaries are making incredible strides. Emerging threats from near peers threaten our asymmetric advantages in space. Additionally, they threaten all military services terrestrial systems that rely on space. But there is a very real possibility of hindering needed space investments by executing another CR might be an even more likely threat.

We simply cannot have Congress fail to successfully pass an on-time budget. The threats to our nation and people are demonstrable, the threats to our space systems are real, and if we do not respond given the current high intensity threat environment, we may well be ceding space superiority. This is unacceptable, would significantly degrade the effectiveness of our entire military and could therefore cost American lives. Anyone who agrees that this is a critical time for the Space Force should write or call their Congressional representatives to implore them to pass an on-time budget. Our nation’s welfare depends on it. 

Retired Maj. Gen. Thomas “Tav” Taverney is chairman of the Schriever Chapter of the Air and Space Force Association and was Air Force Space Command vice commander prior to his 2006 retirement after 38 years of service.

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