Featured Speaker

 Gen. Kevin Campbell provided the conference with a picture of how space systems are used by the 250,000 U.S. troops deployed worldwide. He noted that the role of military personnel on the ground has changed dramatically in recent times, encompassing military, political, and diplomatic aspects of warfighting. In this environment, space-based capabilities are especially important for expeditionary forces. They require versatility, agility, and interoperability - features that space systems are well positioned to provide.

In terms of specific requirements, the general expressed his concern that insufficient thought is being given to the concept of operations. The focus is too often on hardware and software, and not enough emphasis is placed on how it will be used. The present trend is toward smaller forces covering larger areas so it is vital to get data to them so they can be more independent and flexible. This necessitates prioritization for bandwidth and data, availability of tactically relevant sensors, and systems that allow prompt access.