New Zealand will host the Defense Department
and U.S. Strategic Command in the Combined Space Operations initiative at a
formal meeting of the delegates this week, DoD officials announced today.
The New Zealand Defense Force and its ministry of
defense said the meeting will be conducted in Wellington Oct. 12-13 to discuss space-sharing
activities with the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.
The initiative gives participating nations an
understanding of existing and future space environments, an awareness of space
capabilities to support global operations and military-to-military
relationships, and a forum to address challenges and ensure the peaceful use of
space, DoD officials said.
"As space becomes more congested and
contested, it is imperative that we work together to ensure we preserve
access,” said Tom Atkin, deputy assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense
and global security.
Coalitions
in Space
“Coalitions and partnerships represent a
necessary step within national security that increases transparency,
strengthens deterrence, improves mission assurance, enhances resilience and
optimizes resources across participating nations,” Atkin said.
“This meeting is another opportunity to
recognize and reinforce, along with our CSpO partners, the importance of acting
responsibly in, and maintaining the peaceful use of, space,” said Navy Adm.
Cecil D. Haney, commander of U.S. Strategic Command. Stratcom is responsible
for space situational awareness operations for the U.S. military under the
Unified Command Plan.
The vice chief of the New Zealand Defense
Force, Air Vice-Marshal Kevin Short, said participating in the initiative is
expected to give his country effective, efficient access to space-based systems
information to support operations and tasks in New Zealand’s area of interest.
The New Zealand Defense Force mission is to “defend
its national borders, deploy into difficult environments for humanitarian, aid
and disaster relief missions and to patrol large maritime areas, Short said. “Satellites
enable us to complete these tasks.”
(Follow Terri Moon Cronk on
Twitter: @MoonCronkDoD)