Saltzman says keeping US lead in space will require faster, more focused delivery of capabilities

Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman used a keynote address on Sept. 23 to press for sweeping changes in how the U.S. Space Force delivers capabilities, arguing that speed, iterative upgrades and tighter industry collaboration are essential to sustain American advantages in orbit.

“Today, I want to … focus on force design and development,” Saltzman said in his keynote to an overflowing crowd of several thousand at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference. “More specifically, capability delivery — how we acquire and field the systems that our Guardians employ to successfully accomplish our critical missions.”

Citing recent examples, Saltzman said the service is already accelerating delivery while increasing performance. “By combining new tactics, rapid upgrades and testing-in-ops, we boosted the average global GPS accuracy by 40%,” he said. He added that the same precision has direct military applications: “It can also guide B-2 bombers halfway around the world, and steer precision-guided bombs to within inches of their target in case that’s ever needed.”

He pointed to faster timelines for launching next-generation satellites. “Over the last year, we launched two state-of-the-art GPS satellites to continue providing timing and navigation to the world. In the past, it took us almost two years to prepare, transport, stage and launch a GPS satellite. Now, it takes us only three months,” Saltzman said.

The Space Development Agency also notched a milestone, he noted. “Just this month, the Space Development Agency successfully launched the first of their ‘Tranche One’ proliferated architecture,” he said. “This system will provide missile warning, tactical communications, optical cross-links and more. With more than 150 satellites in all, this capability will provide continuous overwatch and deny first mover advantage by making attacks against these systems less impactful.”

Saltzman argued that the acquisition system must prioritize rapid fielding and continuous improvement over long development cycles, especially as threats evolve. “Now, high-quality space systems are mandatory, but they’re not relevant if we wait for them to be near-perfect before we put them in the hands of warfighters,” he said. “Effective systems don’t require perfection to be combat credible. We need to consider rapid entry into operations, manage the capability with a smart risk posture, and then focus on rapid and continuous improvement of the capability in operations,” he said.

He framed the stakes in broad terms for national security and the economy. “Simply put, the Joint Force’s ability to project power, offer options to national leaders and provide security to the American people depends directly on how well we deliver and sustain our space systems,” he said.

With the service approaching its sixth year, Saltzman said now is the moment to lock in reforms. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fundamentally change and revolutionize how we develop and deliver the space systems our nation needs. And because of this opportunity, I’m here to tell you, the Space Force is prepared to take decisive action,” he said.

A major lever, he said, is changing how the Space Force works with the private sector. “We’re leading a shift from a transactional relationship with industry to a collaborative one,” he said. “We’re planning more high-level touchpoints with industry leaders to make sure our strategies align. … Closer collaboration to ensure mutual understanding of system requirements and the threat environment. And a clearer understanding of how our shared investments will benefit all of us.”

To streamline engagement, Saltzman highlighted the “Front Door,” an online submission portal “to gather innovative ideas from across the commercial sector.” The tool will route proposals widely across the government, not just to one acquisition command. The portal allows the Space Force to evaluate industry ideas and products “against the needs of multiple organizations far beyond just SSC – including all Space Force Field Commands, broader Department needs, external government agencies, and allies and partners. If it’s a good match, we’ll connect you with the right office to see where your great ideas might enable our missions,” he said.

Beyond near-term delivery, the service is refining how it forecasts and designs future architectures. “We’re also building the architecture of the future and making sure we’re prepared for what our adversaries might do next,” he said. “The combination of this analysis, intelligence and strategy results in a clearly documented Future Operating Environment serving as an authoritative source for requirements planning. With this planning, we are able to design and document our Objective Force – this is the ‘what, when, and how many’ for space systems and their supporting structures to include manpower. This detailed assessment, planning and analysis will create a clear picture to the staffs for requirements and resourcing but also to industry on what the needs of the service will be for the next 15 years,” he said.

Saltzman closed by crediting Guardians for enabling the Space Force’s pace of change and operational performance. “You are the heart and soul of our mission. You fuel how we will win the fight,” he said. “Your nation needs you on the invisible front line every day. Continuous learning and rapid improvement is how we stay one step ahead of the adversary.”

“The Joint Force and the American people don’t always see what we do, but we still must deliver. And it makes me proud to watch you do it every day,” Saltzman said.