Leaders from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, and Royal Air Force have renewed their commitment to enhancing air and space integration at both operational and tactical levels, according to a press release.
This commitment was formalised through a Shared Vision Statement on Combined Air and Space Power in the 21st century, signed at the RAF’s Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference in London on July 17, 2024.
The Shared Vision Statement was signed by U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, and Royal Air Force Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton.
This event, say the forces, marks a continuation of the long-standing security cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom, aiming to adapt swiftly to the evolving operational environment.
The agreement outlines three critical lines of effort: ‘Operational Harmonisation, Capability Integration, and System Resilience’.
“Among great powers, space is the linchpin,” Gen. Saltzman stated in the news release.
“We’re part of a growing group of allies and partners that enhance our collective security through resiliency, redundancy, and interoperability. Collaboration between the U.S. and the U.K. is essential to maintaining our combined force’s competitive advantage across all domains.”
The signing of the Shared Vision Statement coincides with NATO’s 75th anniversary.
“Through working together, we continue to build our long history of close military security cooperation as two NATO partners,” said Air Chief Marshal Knighton in the release.
Long Live NATO !!! :)) 🇬🇧🇺🇸
Space is the key but what are we doing in space? Telescopes in Cyprus and radar in Yorkshire.
We should not and cannot continue to simply rely on US space assets.
We still lack any form of offensive capability in space or near space and our planned satellite constellations and domestic launch capability seems to have stalled.
After nuclear weapons space is one of the key fundamentals we can bring to NATO but we are stuck with our admittedly world class Geostationary orbit communications satellite array and not much else.
Lots of trials of very promising satellites like TOPSAT and CARBONITE then nothing field for real world use.
Investment made in worlds only other LEO communication array then sold on to France and China for a couple of quid
Much the same as our drone program.
We can’t simply keep following the mantra of leave it to the Americans
, there is every chance they soon won’t be there.
The RAF has ‘been in space’ for a very long time. RAF Oakhanger (estb 1966) was just up the road from our REME site in Bordon. The RAF there controlled British military satellites. Contractor-operated since 2003.
RAF Oakhanger is now MoD Oakhanger. There are 3 sites in the area, including a small NATO one.
Colerne has the other major UK based SGS, with a control centre at Corsham.
The Skynet constellation is apparently being brought back “in house”
Don’t forget the “Zircon” conspiracy….
That was 1980s mate. It cost too much to develop our own spy Satellite at that time. Duncan Campbell reported it.
GCHQ then agreed with NSA to pay so many billions or whatever the amount was to buy into NSAs Magnum constellation.
Apparently we could task all 3 for a period or have majority use of a single one.
Not sure what today’s arrangement is, but the NCGI at Wyton get their imagery and take from something, and they’re not Brit ones apart from Carbonite 2.
That goes for DIFC and JIOC there too, 5 eyes feeds.
Unless Skynet also has a hidden SIGINT or IMINT function.
There is a conspiracy theory that Duncan Campbell was fed the story by GCHQ, and that the real “Zircon” was still launched.
Oooo, I’d not heard that one.
I think if the UK had a spy satellite of its own up there since the 80s it might have been discovered by now.
Who knows!
Lazer Pig has a (admitedly quite humerous) video that spends about 10 minutes discussing the theory. I’m not going to say I believe that particular theory, after all if it there was solid evidence it would be a conspiracy theory, but it’s still fun to think about.
Thanks mate, I’m looking that up later.
“planned satellite constellations ”
I believe you mean the “ISTARI” constellation of intelligence satellites?
AFAIK still ongoing.
What are the satellites called? Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, Allatar and Pallando?
😆! I’m impressed you know the names if the 2 “blue wizards” that disappeared into the east mate…!
In all seriousness, I forget, Artemis and Tyche are two.
Ah but I used their Maiar names, not their Istari names, while I gave the other three their Istari names, so you can dock points for that.
I know. I myself keep forgetting the names. I’m a Tolkien fan, but not that knowledgeable!
I share your concern, my cynicism about America is bad enough but historically I have far more often than not found my cynicism on such vital matters falls short when the reality shows it self. As my US concerns are pretty dystopian I really do fear where it will lead but I am not even sure now that MAGA has, unlike 2016 virtually everything in its pocket and little opposition, just needing to win in November to slot it all in place, that a one party dictatorship isn’t totally off the cards in 5years or a decade. So Europe had pretty well finally pull its finger out and prepare to not only unite militarily but form close mutual relations with Japan, Australia and Canada amongst others. I really don’t think almost anyone recognises the potential catastrophe that awaits if we don’t make the right decisions. In what World the US can seriously chant America Only is beyond me the delusion is akin to riding cavalry against tanks in the 30s but we are getting painfully close to such almost unthinkable realities, we just do t want to contemplate it.
If you want to really have some dystopian fears, might I suggest you read “project 2025”?
Absolutely, the Heritage Foundation organisation, about 140 former #45 administration participants, have created that shameful plan to collapse the three coequal branches of government into an Executive led by wannabe dictator #45.
The American Mein Kampf for a fascist king in all but name.
The end of 250 years American Democracy..
*An Executive Wannabe Dictator running a Theocracy. Project 2025 is directly against every principle of the constitution, and if the Republican Party implements it it’ll be the end of the US as we know it.
Project 2025 has absolutely nothing to do with the Republican Party or Donald Trump. Trump wasn’t even aware of it until it was published and when informed of its contents on certain matters quickly trashed it. You’ve been reading too many NY Times, BBC, and Guardian articles.
Project 2025 absolutely has everything to do with the Republican Party, it’s a guiding principle of one of it’s primary backers, an lobbyist groups. The Heritage foundation achieved around 70% of it’s stated objectives in the last Trump Presidency for comparison, and 70% of Project 2025 would be disastrous for the US. (And of course Trump would CLAIM not to know about it, personally I think the man almost certainly hasn’t read it, but he listens to people who will have).
Stop getting your news exclusively from Fox, and stop defending the tyrannical autocrat that’s pandering to alt-right Christian Nationalists.
That RNC participants willingly celebrate their ignorance and unconstitutional behaviour by wearing “Supporting the Felon for President ” t-shirts shows full metal cult in operation.
A clear and present danger to USA national security so time to protect the Republic from all enemies, both foreign and domestic.
Seal Team Six, stand by..
👍Exactly!
Just got to love the US Space Force uniform, worn by officer on the left!
Very Battlestar Galactica although u like him I know where they got their medals in that series.
The image is really hard to make out because it’s so low resolution but I’m pretty sure the first full row is:
the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
Also just going to quietly point out that that RAF Air Marshall has only got his Jubilee’s, Coronation’s, and LSGC (plus a membership of the Order of the Bath).
Arguably, this is the real ‘special relationship’. During my 12 years in the RAF it was commonplace to work alongside the USAF. I had a few good nights with the Americans. Long may it continue.
A bit of a pointless exercise to me. We are already welded at the hip to the US. Five Eyes, Trident, F35.
NATO. Sub surface operations Special Forces. Many aspects of training across all services.
Yep. That is the “special relationship” not whether Biden, Johnson, Starmer whoever get along, for the clueless media to whip up into a story.
There has to be the political will at that level. For me it is deeply rooted on the ground. Just of the top of my head a few examples. SDV training in Hawaii. Collaboration between Poole and that well known East Coast base. SSBN SSN deployment and base access. USAF USN AC visits to Spadeadam. Royal Marine USMC exchange postings. Other service exchange posts. On a weekly basis the battles over the North Sea mainly using US UK AC. Both utilising the UK aggressor assets. UK participating in Red Flag and other annual events stateside. Shooting competitions and sporting events with both countries participating in reciprocal events. Last but not least 135 and P8 interchangeable crews and joint tasking.
If we get war with Russia or China the satelitte casualties could soon make “Gravity” a pretty good day.
In the meantime did anyone ask if US Airfirce will aid UK if Argentina attacks the Falkland Islands again?