France and Germany have accepted an invitation from U.S. Space Command to join Multi-National Force-Operation Olympic Defender, a collaboration of allies that aims to strengthen defenses and deter aggression in the space domain.
Gen. Stephen Whiting, USSPACECOM and MNF-OOD commander, and other military officials from OOD members Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand participated in induction ceremonies held in Paris and Berlin.
According to Whiting, a Wash100 award recipient, the addition of Germany and France will help address space threats and ensure the safety and security of the domain for future generations. During the ceremony in Berlin, he said the partnerships will enable greater information sharing and bring allied nations an “asymmetric advantage.”
The new OOD members are also part of the Combined Space Operations initiative, which promotes the responsible use of space and addresses challenges to space sustainability.
The U.S. and its allies have been working to secure space assets and space exploration from adversarial threats, including anti-satellite weapons. In February, national security spokesman John Kirby revealed that Russia is developing a space-based weapon that could destroy military and civilian satellites and pose risks to astronauts in low Earth orbit.