Joint Interagency Combined
Space Operations Center (JICSpOC)

The Department of Defense announced 11 September 2015 that it would establish a Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center (JICSpOC), in conjunction with U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Space Command, and the intelligence community. The center, to be located at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, would create unity of effort and facilitate information sharing across the national security space enterprise.

The new JICSpOC would improve processes and procedures, ensuring data fusion among DoD, intelligence community, interagency, allied, and commercial space entities. The JICSpOC would have embedded capabilities that enable it to provide backup to the Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC), located at Vanderberg Air Force Base, Calif., but was not intended as a replacement for the JSpOC.

The JICSpOC is located within existing facilities on Schriever AFB. Military construction funding is not required. The center would have the capability to develop, test, validate, and integrate new space system tactics, techniques, and procedures in support of both DoD and intelligence community space operations.

The increasing threats to space capabilities necessitate better operational integration of these two space communities, as well as civil, commercial, allied, and international partners. The JICSpOC experimentation and test effort would boost the ability to detect, characterize, and attribute irresponsible or threatening space activity in a timely manner.

Ultimately, the output of the JICSpOC would enhance U.S. space operations, contribute to operational command and control within the DoD, and improve the nation’s ability to protect and defend critical national space infrastructure in an increasingly contested space environment. Along with JSpOC, the new JICSpOC would support the Joint Functional Component Commander for Space, the Space Component Commander for U.S. Strategic Command.

An initial cadre of approximately 30 personnel would develop the facility, network and analytic requirements, as well as the skillsets and organizational representation required to provide the proper experimentation and testing environment for the JICSpOC. Membership of this initial group would come from the DoD and the intelligence community. Additional personnel from these and other stakeholders would be added as the detailed experimentation plan is refined.

Initial funding for stand-up of the JICSpOC consisted of $16 million in FY15 funds sourced from DoD and Director of National Intelligence stakeholders. Budget requirements for future years were still being determined. Preparatory activities commenced with operational experimentation and testing beginning on Oct. 1, 2015. Completion of the initial series of experiments, including incorporation of the results into standard operating procedures, was expected by Jan. 1, 2017.