Recommended Strategy for the Army's Role in Space

This Note lays out a recommended strategy for the Army's role in space, drawing on research the Arroyo Center has performed in this area over the past seven years. The document argues that the Army should make supporting the battlefield commander its primary role in space, supplementing the argument with a discussion of how the Army used space to support the battlefield commander during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. It then argues that implementing this role requires modifying the Army's organization so that it emphasizes space, which involves institutionalizing space in the Army's warfighting doctrine, establishing a high-ranking authority, and correcting the requirements and acquisition process. The document then proposes that the Army pursue a two-part investment strategy that involves exploiting existing space systems and participating in satellite requirement studies. Finally, it argues that the Army needs to modify its operational procedures for space to deal with such issues as training and information distribution.