U.S. Space Command at ‘full operational capability’ as Congress battles over HQ site

The U.S. Space Command, the Pentagon’s newest combatant command with responsibility for space operations, is completely up and running after its commander on Friday formally announced that it had achieved “full operational capability.”

During a headquarters town hall meeting, Army Gen. James Dickinson said Space Command — first conceived during the Trump administration — was finally ready to fulfill its mission on “our worst day, when we are needed the most.”

“Since its establishment in 2019, [the command] has been singularly focused on delivering exquisite capability to the joint force to deter conflict, defend our vital interests, and, if necessary, defeat aggression,” Gen. Dickinson said.

U.S. Space Command and the also recently created U.S. Space Force are separate organizations. The Space Force is a military service, like the Army and Navy, while the Space Command is a unified combatant force, like Central Command or the Indo-Pacific Command. Space Command directs military operations in space and helps defend satellite systems that provide GPS navigation, secure communications and warnings of missile attacks.

“As the command has matured, challenges to a safe, secure, stable and sustainable space domain have significantly increased,” Gen. Dickinson said. “Both the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation are fielding counter=space capabilities designed to hold U.S., allied and partner space assets at risk.”

Gen. Dickinson’s declaration of full operational capability comes amid an ongoing political battle over the location of Space Command’s headquarters. Former President Trump said it should be moved to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. But that decision was overturned once he left office. President Biden said it will remain at its current location at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs.

Rep. Doug Lamborn, Colorado Republican, applauded the announcement of full operational capability and said it shows that Colorado Springs is the best location for the command.

“I am confident our Guardians will do what is necessary to maintain the highest levels of readiness to counter our adversaries’ malign ambitions in space,” Mr. Lamborn said. “Our nation and its allies are counting on it.”

But Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, blasted the decision to cancel Space Command’s transfer to Huntsville. In a contentious Sept. 28 hearing, he grilled Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Gen. Dickinson, and Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations for the U.S. Space Force, about the decision process.

Mr. Rogers said he will ask for another investigation by the Defense Department’s inspector general and will also seek to suspend funding for any construction in Colorado for a permanent Space Command headquarters.

“Congress gets to decide what we’re going to authorize and what we’re going to pay for,” he said.