Soldiers from the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s 1st Space Brigade participate in a military exercise focused on space support. As the Army pushes to strengthen its space warfare capabilities, such exercises prepare soldiers to operate in electronically contested environments where space systems are critical yet vulnerable.
Soldiers from the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s 1st Space Brigade participate in a military exercise focused on space support. Credit: U.S. Army

For decades, the U.S. Army has been chasing the same mirage: a fully connected battlefield where every soldier, vehicle and sensor shares data seamlessly. Each time, the promise has been the same — a “data-centric” force that can see, decide and act faster than any adversary. Each time, the results have been disappointment, delay and billions of dollars down the drain.

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Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...