Spacecom Assumes Missile Defense Mission from Stratcom

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PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. – The President of the United States approved and directed the implementation of the 2022 Unified Command Plan Apr. 25, 2023.

The 2022 UCP directs the transfer of missile defense responsibilities from the U.S. Strategic Command commander to the U.S. Space Command commander.

“This transfer is the culmination of a comprehensive study on the roles, responsibilities and authorities associated with the Missile Defense enterprise and represents an alignment to the 2022 Missile Defense Review,” said U.S. Army Gen. James Dickinson, USSPACECOM commander. “Integration of systems and fighting doctrine is critical to modern warfare. By bringing the three mission areas of missile warning, missile defense and space domain awareness under one command as the Global Sensor Manager, USSPACECOM can more effectively integrate and fuse the sensor data for rapid detection, characterization, tracking and dissemination to ensure theaters can defeat any threat.”

In addition to planning support and analysis, USSPACECOM responsibilities in this mission area will include functions such as integrated asset management, warfighter involvement in capability development, network management and defense, mission-specific intelligence, and trans-regional missile defense joint training, education and exercise support, and security cooperation coordination.

USSTRATCOM along with U.S. Northern Command will retain and continue to perform the Integrated Threat Warning and Attack Assessment missions.

“In the increasingly complex global threat environment, missile defense is critical to defending the homeland,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, USSTRATCOM commander. “I am confident that this UCP better supports our integrated deterrence framework in safeguarding our nation.”
In addition to the missile defense mission assumption, as part of the approved implementation plan, USSTRATCOM’s missile defense component, the Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense (JFCC IMD), will transfer to USSPACECOM.

USSPACECOM, working with Allies and partners, plans, executes, and integrates military space [and missile] power into multi-domain global operations in order to deter aggression, defend national interests, and when necessary, defeat threats.