iscover
One of Australia’s largest multinational exercises is proving to be especially popular in its space element, signalling greater interoperable efforts in space defence.
Going from two people to 50 in just five years, the space command part of Exercise Cobra Gold is proving to be an ever-growing element of the exercise.
Wing Commander Mark Wilson of the Australian Defence Force Joint Force Space Command said the growth of the space element of the exercise points to Australia’s growing capabilities in the field, as well as other Western allies.
“Space enables most of the things we do out in the warfighting arena, whether it be satellite communications, missile warning or GPS,” he said.
“Most things we do have a space element, and the biggest job we have is educating the rest of the components, the rest of the people, ‘Hey this is what space does and can offer you’.”
Exercise Cobra Gold is an Indo-Pacific cooperative effort that sees Defence personnel from a range of regional nations contribute their specialist expertise such as space, cyber, and command and control to fellow allies.
“They brought specialist expertise not only in command and control but also in space and cyber operations, which are increasingly important to maintaining stability and security across the region,” ADF Chief of Joint Operations Justin Jones said.
“Participating in exercises like Cobra Gold builds individual experience while strengthening the professional relationships and collective capability that underpin effective multinational operations.”
Speaking on the importance of space as a defence element, US Army Pacific Command Space Operations Chief Colonel Jeff Duplantis said this growth is important in representing the way that typical defence skills are being leveraged for capabilities in the space domain.
Pointing to the fact that adversaries may target satellite communication and navigation, Col Duplantis noted that space is one of the most critical and strategic facets of modern defence environments.
