“Space is for everybody. It’s not just for a few people in science or maths, or for a select group of astronauts. It’s everybody’s business to know about space.”
Christa McAuliffe (Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-51-L)
Following on from our press release last week, our Air & Space Division explain more about space and what our extended partnership with the Air & Space Warfare Centre means.
Space is inspiring; the whole world gathered to watch humanity take its first steps on the moon in 1969 and every child looks up in wonder at the stars. However, not everyone realises just how essential space is to every aspect of our modern daily life. Every time we use our smartphones, every time we take a flight, every time we check the weather forecast – we are using space.
The UK National Space Strategy makes it clear that our nation relies heavily on space for critical services that impact daily on civil, commercial and military sectors. Indeed, space is a key enabler for all critical national infrastructure activities and defence operations. Here’s the UK National vision:
“We will build one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world, and the UK will grow as a space nation. We will protect and defend UK interests in space, shape the space environment and use space to help solve challenges at home and overseas. Through cutting-edge research, we will inspire the next generation and sustain the UK’s competitive edge in space science and technology.”
UK National Space Strategy, September 2021
Against this national vision, defence is tasked with the goal to protect and defend our interests in and through space. We strengthen security, and enhance resilience at home and overseas, ensuring that space is fully integrated across the five operational domains – air, land, sea, cyber and space.
As the defence lead for space, the UK Space Command produces coherent plans and manages activity at operational to tactical level. Its priorities are to support operations - be they standing defence tasks, overseas operations or contingent functions; lead an agile approach to space capability development and delivery; and generate a skilled defence space workforce. This will harness the energy and adaptability of the UK’s space sector to ensure the rapid delivery of leading-edge space capability and deliver command and control of space operations.
To develop a skilled and sustainable workforce, appropriate individual, team and collective training will be required. Thus, 92 Squadron within the Air and Space Warfare Centre (ASWC) and the Air Battlespace Training Centre are both critical components to delivering against this ambition through collective training and exercise support.
The way that space is used is changing. As the space above us gets busier and becomes more complex and contested, natural or manmade threats pose greater risk of disruption to our daily lives. Our potential adversaries are developing capabilities that will put our people, equipment and information networks at risk and make it harder to protect the UK.
Space enables our ability to command and control globally, provide surveillance, reconnaissance, and missile warning, as well as supports deployed joint forces. In a harsh and increasingly competitive domain, space capabilities and activities are continually subject to threats and hazards - therefore, ensuring our people are effectively trained is critical.
Exercise Cobra Warrior
Exercise Cobra Warrior is run twice a year and is the largest air exercise by the Royal Air Force. It is designed to train participants in high intensity, large force, tactical air warfighting operations. While space has been factored into exercise planning for several years, it was Cobra Warrior 22-2 where the use of embedded Inzpire Space Division expertise was first fully integrated. We provide dedicated training evolutions to space students and the training of next generation Qualified Space Instructors (QSI).
Support includes but is not limited to:
The development of tactical space scenarios and mission sets for ASWC exercises.
Preparation and support of ASWC-delivered large force employment (LFE) for space and non-kinetic elements of the exercise.
The 89 provision of exercise management and post-event support including the conduct of scenario analysis and lessons identification.
Indeed, the success of the training resulted in both UK Space Command and ASWC identifying a need for space suitably qualified and experienced personnel (SQEP) to provide embedded support for Cobra Warrior 23-2 and in the ASWC White Force (WF) 24 construct.
The Air & Space Warfare Centre White Force 24 Requirement
To meet the ASWC WF 24 requirement, we’ll utilise our current experts and recruit against a series of competencies that includes:
QSI or US equivalent or a Qualified Weapons Instructor who has expert level space knowledge.
Extensive space SQEP in key space staff appointments or through participation in Tier 2 exercises
Multi-domain experience as a UK Air Ops Master Controller or Tactical Director, which will allow individuals to contribute more widely with an Air Command and Control skill set.
The combination of a clearly defined but evolving ASWC and UK Space Command (as the primary customer) space requirement, and the expert contribution that Inzpire Air & Space Division bring, underpins the requirement for space ASWC WF support.
Moreover, identification of the skills required by individuals enables current and future Air & Space Division expertise to be baselined, focuses recruitment, and offers professional skills across multi-domain operations, maximising contractual value for money, benefit to the customer and flexible support to the ASWC WF cadre.
It’s an extremely exciting time in the delivery of training services to our defence customers, with many opportunities to grow and further establish our space credentials in the future.
