ARLINGTON, Va. -- Space is a key domain for decision advantage.
To facilitate integration with the air domain, the Department of the Air Force’s Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management works extensively with the Space Force’s Space Systems Integration Office to deliver the DAF BATTLE NETWORK, the system-of-systems that provides resilient decision advantage to warfighters.
DAF PEO C3BM is aligned under both the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, and the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration at the Pentagon.
“We’re the one PEO that has a foot in both camps,” said Gordon Kordyak, C3BM deputy PEO. “We are constantly working together to build the capabilities we need for the DAF BATTLE NETWORK.”
SSIO was established with the monumental task to drive enterprise integration across the U.S. Space Force acquisition community and achieve end-to-end capability delivery across multiple PEOs and mission partners to meet warfighter needs. Part of that mission is providing integrated space enterprise capability development support to C3BM.
“We always start by understanding the threats and the corresponding operational plans that have been defined by the Combatant Commands,” said Kris Acosta, civilian deputy to the senior advisor for the assistant secretary for Space. Acosta is also the space deputy for Architecture and Systems Engineering supporting C3BM. “We're looking at how we address the capability needs at scale, not just from a single PEO, but across multiple solution providers. How do ensure end-to-end capability from joint planning through the joint targeting cycle to deliver the effects that the warfighters need?”
SSIO is addressing the complexity of system-of-systems by breaking down the capability delivery into phased increment plans. This allows SSIO to support PEOs delivering incremental capabilities to the DAF BATTLE NETWORK that are fully integrated, resulting in speedy and accurate space-domain support that will enable responsive and agile joint warfighter decision making.
With Acosta being dual hatted, she brings C3BM requirements to SSIO and vice-versa, creating a unique synergy that benefits both organizations. C3BM depends on a tightly integrated network of sensors, satellites, and command centers. SSIO ensures these diverse systems communicate and interoperate across space, air, and cyber domains. SSIO also ensures that C3BM efforts are aligned with the broader space enterprise roadmap, reducing duplication and stovepipes.
The organizations work together to ensure mission critical technology is safe from natural and man-made threats.
“We have become critically dependent upon space as a domain,” Kordyak said. “These capabilities are essential to enable the joint force to allow them to perform military operations in a supported and supporting role.”
Together, C3BM works with organizations across the Space Force to acquire, build, and maintain resilient technology to rapidly advance DAF BATTLE NETWORK capabilities.
“We're going to exploit the air and space capabilities we have,” Kordyak said. “We're going to look to commercial industry for capabilities we can buy as a service, and we're going to augment that when possible.”
Another symbiotic role between C3BM and SSIO is the protection of assets through understanding space as a contested domain. The organizations work together to ensure mission critical technology is safe from natural and man-made threats.
“If we allow ourselves to imagine a day without space then, how would this impact our lives and how we do business, be it personal or professional?” Kordyak said. “The ramifications of such an impact are huge. It touches every aspect of our lives. The threat is out there.”
The organizations also work together to support integrated deterrence through multi-domain coordination through air, space, land, sea, and cyber. They ensure assets remain functional and continue to deliver mission critical data through continuous planning.