Integration in a 'Purple' World - The Industry Perspective

Industry leaders offered perspectives on the topic of integration for joint and coalition space operations, echoing the call for a better military approach for purchases of commercial services. The current system involves too much money and risk because of the military's practice of purchasing services on the spot market instead of entering into long-term contracts or engaging in long-term planning that would enable commercial operators to better predict their military sales. It was noted that approximately 80% of military communications are carried by commercial satellites, and in Europe the vast majority of space systems are dual-use rather than specifically civil or military. The Ariane 5 rocket provides an example as it is sufficiently reliable for military launches even though it was developed primarily as a commercial launch system. The panelists agreed that commercial systems have a great deal to contribute to military effectiveness, and they would be willing to invest more time and resources in creating innovative solutions for the military if the requirements were as well defined as they are by customers in the commercial sector.