Photo By Emily Peacock | U.S. Space Force Col. Raj Agrawal, commander, Space Delta 2 – Space Domain...... read more read more
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SEOUL, Republic of Korea – U.S. Space Force Col. Raj Agrawal, commander, Space Delta 2-Space Domain Awareness and Space Battle Management, traveled to Seoul to meet with top officials from U.S. Space Forces Korea and the Republic of Korea Air Force to assess evolving space capabilities and to speak at the ROKAF’s third annual Open Space Forum July 4, 2023.
The visit came as an invitation from ROKAF’s senior leaders to speak on critical SDA intelligence and coincided with the 70th anniversary of the U.S-ROK Alliance, symbolizing the U.S. and the ROK’s enduring commitment to mutual defense.
Ahead of the forum, Agrawal met with Lt. Col. Joshua McCullion, commander, U.S. Space Forces Korea and visited the ROKAF Space Operations Squadron to assess the unit’s Electro-Optical Space Surveillance system and progress toward integrated deterrence.
“The Republic of Korea has an advanced space warfighting mindset,” said Agrawal. “There’s a lot that we can learn from each other as we continue to build on our alliance and our space battle management partnership.”
During the Open Space Forum, Agrawal discussed the importance of integrated civil-military SDA, the value of partnership between responsible nations, current threats to internationally established norms in the space domain, and space as a fundamental aspect of national security.
“From 2019 to 2022, we experienced a 176% increase in the number of objects we track on orbit,” Agrawal said. “The military threats to the U.S. and allied spacecraft are also increasing – and make no mistake – they are very real.”
In particular, Agrawal highlighted China and Russia’s destructive anti-satellite demonstrations, which resulted in an alarming number of trackable and non-trackable space debris that directly threaten U.S. and allied satellites in Low Earth Orbit, the International Space Station and human spaceflight.
In 2007, China launched a direct ascent anti-satellite missile and destroyed one of their satellites, resulting in 2,700 pieces of trackable debris.
“In that moment, we began our transition from space situational awareness to space domain awareness,” said Agrawal. “It’s not enough to see what is in space – we must understand what is happening. Space Battle Management is the next step – using that understanding to unlock unique diplomatic, military, and economic options for the U.S. and our allies.”
Lastly, Agrawal discussed the future of SDA and Space Battle Management, as well as the critical contributions provided by all international allies and partners.
“We have an obligation to use SDA to protect and defend the space capabilities of the U.S. and our allies,” said Agrawal. “Partnership is the bedrock of SDA.”
The trip marked Agrawal’s first official international visit since taking command of DEL 2 in late June.
DEL 2 prepares and presents combat-ready forces who operationalize Space Domain Awareness to identify, characterize, and exploit opportunities and mitigate vulnerabilities in the national security space terrain. DEL 2 is one of 10 mission-focused deltas within the U.S. Space Force.
DEL 2 is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. DEL 2 has mission personnel and functions distributed across 13 locations including Vandenberg Space Force Base, California; Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico; Maui, Hawaii; and Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, Virginia; in addition to multiple supporting locations around the world including Australia, Diego Garcia, and the Marshall Islands.
| Date Taken: | 07.13.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.20.2023 17:06 |
| Story ID: | 449573 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 615 |
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