US and allies sharpen coalition spacepower through CSpO partnership

by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 09, 2025

U.S. military officials joined leaders from all 10 nations in the Combined Space Operations Initiative at the new French Space Command Headquarters in Toulouse, where they underscored the role of CSpO in deterrence, interoperability and coalition space warfighting capability. The initiative links the sovereign spacefaring nations of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States under a shared operational framework for space.

The U.S. delegation was led by U.S. Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations for the U.S. Space Force; U.S. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command and the Multinational Force Operation Olympic Defender; and Robert Brose, deputy assistant Secretary of War for Space and Missile Defense, who is performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of War for Space Policy. U.S. representatives said their goal is to defend U.S. interests in and through space while expanding practical cooperation with CSpO partners both on earth and on orbit.

Gen. Whiting pointed to the pace of activity by potential adversaries and the need for the coalition to keep up. "Our opponents are moving at jaw-dropping speed, and we must match that pace with integrated coalition capabilities that deter aggression and defend our interests," said Whiting.

The U.S. team aligned its messaging with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's guidance to reinforce a warfighting ethos in space operations. Consistent with that direction, the delegation asked the CSpO Initiative to focus on concrete measures that strengthen and sustain coalition spacepower under growing threat conditions, ensure policies and plans track current risk assessments, and continue to expand the operational cooperation that CSpO already provides.

Saltzman stressed the need for deeper integration among national efforts across the partnership. "We are building a coalition capable of addressing the challenges of a contested space environment," said Saltzman. "To be effective, we must collaborate on our architectures, integrate our training, exercises, and operations, and build a common understanding of the threats we face."

Officials outlined how space systems support security and economic activity for the American public and for partner nations, and described areas where increasing threats could put those shared interests at risk. They cited potential impacts on commercial access to space and on the orbital domain if high levels of debris or weapons of mass destruction were introduced.

Brose connected the military's traditional roles in defending national interests across land, sea and air with its growing responsibilities in orbit. "Just as our military defends our freedom, rights, and interests on earth, the military of the United States of America will protect and defend our freedom, rights and interests in space," said Brose.

The 10 CSpO nations renewed their commitment to act as responsible space operators and to challenge behavior that threatens safety or stability in orbit. As the initiative evolves, participants said their focus will remain on ensuring space operators can deter conflict, defeat adversaries if required, and prevail in space as a warfighting domain.