As both the U.S. military’s dependence on space and the threats posed to space systems have grown, some in Congress and the space community have called for sweeping changes in how space forces are organized, trained, and supported within the military. Both the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2018 contain language that would significantly reorganize military space forces and authorities. This one-day symposium, hosted by the CSIS Aerospace Security Project, will explore how the military space enterprise should be organized given the increasing importance of space as a warfighting domain. Speakers will examine previous efforts to reorganize military space forces, problems that need to be addressed, and the pros and cons of different organizational models that have been tried in other parts of the military.
Revised Symposium Agenda:
8:00 Breakfast & Registration
8:25 Welcome & Introductory Remarks
Kath Hicks, Senior Vice President and Director of the International Security Program at CSIS
8:30 Keynote I
Deborah Lee James, former Secretary of the Air Force
Q&A moderated by Todd Harrison
9:10 Keynote II
Representative Mike Rogers, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Moderated by Todd Harrison
9:50 Coffee Break
10:00 Panel I: Defining the Problems and Opportunities
Lisa Disbrow, former Under Secretary of the Air Force
Martin Faga, former Director of the National Reconnaissance Office
Daniel Lerner, Professional Staff Member, Senate Armed Services Committee
Doug Loverro, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy
Moderated by Todd Harrison
11:00 Panel II: Reflections from Previous Space Reviews
Marc Berkowitz, Vice President for Space Security, Lockheed Martin
VADM Lyle Bien, former Deputy Commander, United States Space Command
Lt Gen James “Kevin” McLaughlin, USAF (ret.), former Deputy Commander, U.S. Cyber Command
Moderated by Todd Harrison
12:00 Lunch
12:40 Panel III: Examples of Reorganization in Other Domains
RADM Jack Dantone, USN (ret.), former Director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Col Thomas “Tim” Davidson, USAF (ret.), President, Davidson Consulting Services, LLC
Bill LaPlante, former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition
Moderated by Todd Harrison
1:40 Coffee Break
1:50 Afternoon Keynote
Gen Robert Kehler, USAF (ret.), former Commander, United States Strategic Command
Q&A moderated by Todd Harrison
2:30 Adjourn