DVIDS – News – 1st Space Brigade bolsters tactical interoperability, integration with U.K. visit

UNITED KINGDOM – Already tested through decades of land-based, naval and aerial warfare, the United Kingdom’s and United States Army’s military alliance is strengthening its interoperability in the space domain at the tactical level.

Three officers with the 1st Space Brigade traveled to the United Kingdom last month for the latest in a series of brigade visits to establish new and bolster existing strategic relationships with the U.K.’s space-based military organizations. They visited both High Wycombe, where the U.K. Space Command is stationed northwest of London, and the Multi-Role Support Squadron based at Royal Air Force Base Waddington in Lincolnshire.

The officers traveled as part of the 1st Space Brigade’s new permanent U.K. working group, which consists of roughly five people including a space subject matter expert on staff and personnel from the intelligence section and space control planning teams.

Capt. Paulina Montgomery, 1st Space Brigade Strategic Initiatives chief and working group lead, said the group is a priority for the brigade and will continue through personnel changes in the future.

“1st Space Brigade’s U.K. working group formed this year in order to cultivate our partnership with the MRSS as we pursue synonymous efforts in advancing our space systems, technology, and processes on a global scale,” Montgomery said. “This collaboration provides invaluable experience, enabling us to learn from one and another and implement the best methods in joint operations. As we move into 2025, we remain eager to collaborate on a variety of exercises and experiments with one another.”

The United Kingdom is looking to move from a “meaningful” to a “competitive” space power within the decade, Maj. Gen. Paul Tedman, U.K. Space Command commander, said during the U.K. Defence Space Conference in London on Sept. 25. To do so, the allied command – which stood up in April 2021 – is oriented on developing space capabilities and architecture through government and private technology partners as well as integrating those capabilities across their joint and allied forces, including those of the 1st Space Brigade.

Responsible for the operational testing and evaluation of “novel” space capabilities on behalf of U.K. Space Command is the MRSS, said Wing Cmdr. Gareth Jones, MRSS commander.

The squadron is one of the Force Elements under the command and control of the U.K. Joint Force Space Component and has liaised with 1st Space Brigade since it stood up in August 2023. The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command has already sent two liaison exchange officers, Capt. Ryan Smith and retired Capt. Chris Tatsuoka, to England for separate multi-month exchange trips to formalize the MRSS-brigade operational partnership and learn how to leverage the others’ strengths in the collective fight.

“We benefit immensely from the close ties forged with 1st Space Brigade; a shared vision, ethos, and operational approach has been at the foundation of this effort,” Jones said. We have developed and shared tactics and processes and set milestones to enhance future collaboration. This work ensures operational interoperability and that we may fight and win together.”

Along with a visit to UK Space Command headquarters at High Wycombe during the late September trip, the officers toured the MRSS facility three hours north of London to meet British space operators, review equipment and capabilities and hold face-to-face meetings to familiarize with the ally’s capacity of personnel, equipment, organizational structure and command relationships.

“Our in-person visit was critical to developing strong relationships between our organizations to allow for continued partnership and team building,” Capt. Anthony Cupit, 1st Space Brigade chief of space operations, said. With everything we took away, we were able to develop a very thorough plan with short-term and long-term goals to achieve in our partnership as we work toward conducting real world allied operations.”

During the trip, the American and British officers laid groundwork for increased routine visits by both parties to the U.K. and Colorado.

“At the brigade and battalion echelons, we can train together through exercises and the development of new certification plans,” Cupit said. “We can also learn together by sharing lessons learned and operational after-action reviews to find best practices in planning and mission execution.”