Vanguard Magazine

14 DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 www.vanguardcanada.com space Figure1: Canadian Space Division HQ ~2024 RCAF Air and Space Power From its earliest days, the CAF Joint Space program resided within the Chief of Force Development (CFD) and its predecessors as a joint capability enabler. Its primary focus was on program formulation and project delivery. The scope of the respon- sibilities grew over time, and by 2014 the Director General Space was responsible for the full range of Force Development (FD), Force Generation (FG), and Force Employment (FE) functions for space capabilities. However, it became increas- ingly clear there was a mismatch between the evolving role of DG Space and that of CFD under the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff. As a result, in 2016, the functional authority for the CAF's military space pro- gram was transferred from the CFD to the Commander RCAF. In the intervening years, the RCAF has carefully laid the groundwork to fully integrate space capabilities into the broader RCAF force structure and pan- domain operations. Strategic direction from the Commander in 2017 kicked off a two-year evaluation, culminating in a new space structure proposed in 2019. At its core, Joint Space FD, FG, and FE now follow traditional lines within the RCAF as described in the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for the CAF Joint Space Program, signed by the LGen Meinzinger earlier this year. To meet the demands of the emerging space domain, the CONOPS re-distributed the func- tions previously centralized under DG Space into new and existing RCAF and Air Staff structures. In addition to the re- distribution of functions, more than 275 positions, regular force, reserve force, and civilians, will be evolved or established across the enterprise throughout the im- plementation period. Space FD activities have moved from Director General Space, under BGen Ad- amson to the newly renamed Director General Air and Space Force Develop- ment under BGen Kiever. Under BGen Kiever's leadership and with DG Space in support, the RCAF is responsible for pro- gram formulation and delivery of space projects. The current program is described in the Defence Capabilities Blueprint and includes the Defence Enhanced Surveil- lance from Space Project (DESSP), Sat- ellite Communications projects, and the Surveillance of Space 2, which total more than $8.2B in potential program spend- ing. Arguably, with these investment levels in military space programs, Space FD will greatly benefit from the institutional depth provided by the RCAF. Figure 2: Canadian Space Wing ~2024 Image: DND/RCAF Image: DND/RCAF

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