APOGEE STAFF
U.S. allies Japan, Australia and the Republic of Korea reiterated their commitment to cooperate in space and showcased their respective new space defense organizations at meetings with U.S. Army Gen. James H. Dickinson, then head of U.S. Space Command. The visits in 2022 coincided with several space-related events, including the biennial Air and Space Power Conference in Australia and the activation of both the Space Operations Group in Japan and the Defence Space Command in Australia.
It was clear from speeches and public accounts of the meetings that the development of U.S. Space Command and the U.S. Space Force served, in part, as an inspiration for the two new space-defense organizations.
Japan’s new Space Operations Group contains a training squadron and the nation’s Space Operations Squadron, established in 2020. The combined group will focus on space situational awareness operations. To strengthen the U.S.-Japan space partnership, USSPACECOM and the Japanese Air Force arranged for a Japanese liaison officer to begin working with USSPACECOM.
South Korea opened its Space Operations Center in September 2021 to lead the nation’s space policy development, capability development and space situational awareness. During his visit in 2022, Dickinson toured of the center and discussed the opportunity for increased space cooperation in key mission areas. Dickinson also visited the Korean Aerospace Research Institute, the nation’s lead civil space agency, and spoke with Gen. Park Inho, South Korea’s Air Force chief of staff.
Strengthening cooperation in space defense was a theme of meetings Dickinson had in Australia with civilian and military leaders from countries including Australia and Germany. He gave the keynote address at the Air and Space Power Conference dinner attended by representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Italy and the United Kingdom. Gen. John Raymond, then-U.S. Space Force chief of space operations, joined Dickinson for a meeting in Canberra with Australian leaders. Among those attending was Air Vice-Marshal Catherine Roberts, commander of Australia’s Defence Space Command. Gen. Angus J. Campbell, chief of the Australian Defence Force, said, “The decision to create a single organization to coordinate and manage defense’s endeavors in space is significant. Defence Space Command brings members of Navy, Army, Air Force, the Australian Public Service and contractors together under an integrated headquarters reporting to the Chief of Air Force as the Space Domain Lead.”
In reports of Dickinson’s visit on its website, USSPACECOM emphasized the importance of alliances with Australia, Japan and South Korea, calling them the cornerstone and linchpin of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and describing the U.S. and Australia as “democratic anchors” in the region.