Before the attack on Ukraine, the Russian armed forces were considered one of the strongest in the world. But the conflict revealed that this was a myth. General B. Chance Salzman, head of US space operations, said the lesson for the US Space Force is that when it has to fight in the next conflict, it cannot be caught unprepared.

Salzman noted that the US military has the world’s most advanced satellites and equipment, but that space forces have been operating in a relatively safe environment for decades and are not prepared for a potential conflict in which satellites could become military targets.

“Observations from Ukraine show that on paper you have a very capable Russian army, but they are not necessarily trained and do not have operational concepts for multi-area operations,” Salzman said in an interview with Space. Force Association webcast published January 12.

Sometimes leaders focus on weapons systems, and “if you don’t have trained personnel, operational concepts, and tactics to deploy weapons systems against a thinking enemy, you overlook the fact that you only have half the equation,” he said.

“The Russians did not have C2 structures [командування та управління] and security tools. And they’re a little short,” said Salzman. In the Space Force, “to accomplish the mission, we have to make sure that not only are the systems in place, but that our operators have the training, experience, and proven tactics that truly deliver these capabilities.”

According to him, operators will need a combination of live and virtual training grounds to prepare for space combat. Space Force units will have to learn to conduct electronic warfare, combat GPS interference, and maneuver satellites. Much of the existing training infrastructure has been taken over from the Air Force, and the Space Force needs to invest in updated capabilities.

“We have to establish the infrastructure, processes and procedures to be sure. [охоронці космічних сил] Get everything they need, whether it’s testing and training infrastructure, simulators that can mimic enemy threats, and the interaction you get when working multiple units. Let’s solve operational tasks together,” he said. “All of this has to happen before we engage in real combat so that our operators are fully prepared. And that’s the priority I’m really aiming for.”

For example, rangers “will need to develop tactics of controlling space so that we can do what we want to do with our space assets, while getting the effects we want to achieve, while denying the enemy’s ability to use it.” Space capabilities to target US forces”.

“So we need to have operational concepts of how to do that. What are the methods, what are the procedures, and then you need to figure it out… What I want to do is make sure we have the skills and experience on the first day of conflict.”