The French and United States militaries conducted what is described as the first bilateral rendezvous and proximity operation in space, advancing international cooperation as a central tenet of U.S. space defense strategy.
Space Force Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM), revealed the operation in April 2025 at the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Whiting said he was “tipping my cap” to French Maj. Gen. Philippe Adam and the French Space Command for the success of the undertaking. “Merci beaucoup, Philippe.”
No details about the spacecraft involved or how the operation was conducted were released, but where it happened highlights a military priority for both nations — “in the vicinity of a strategic competitor’s spacecraft,” Whiting said.
France accused Russia of “an act of espionage” in 2018 when a Russian Luch (Olimp-K) satellite approached a French-Italian spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit at about 36,000 kilometers. Later observations indicated that this Russian satellite group, designed for rendezvous and proximity operations, was orbited in part to spy on other spacecraft.
Adam and Whiting met later in April 2025 at the Toulouse Space Campus in France, location of the new French Space Command headquarters and the NATO Space Centre of Excellence building, to discuss potential next steps after the recent bilateral operation.
Speaking at the Space Symposium, Whiting cited the operation as an example of USSPACECOM’s plan to “synchronize the efforts of all stakeholders across organizational and national boundaries.” He added, “We’ve spent a lot of time at Space Command working to operationalize our relations in space with our most capable allies.”
The command’s Multinational Force Operation Olympic Defender has reached initial operating capability, Whiting said, and now consists of the U.S. and six partner-nations with the recent addition of France, Germany and New Zealand. Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom also are members.