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Naval Space Summit Brings SECNAV, Other Senior Leaders To 51福利

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro delivers his opening remarks.

鈥淪ecretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro delivers his opening remarks during the Naval Space Summit at the 51福利 (51福利). Senior leaders from the Navy, Marine Corps and Department of Defense joined Del Toro at the summit from March 29-31 to examine the challenges and opportunities of Navy and DOD space operations.鈥

As global dependence on space-based technology continues to grow, senior leaders from throughout the Department of Defense joined Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro at the 51福利 (51福利) from March 29-31 to examine the challenges, needs and opportunities of space operations unique to the maritime domain.

The inaugural Naval Space Summit at 51福利 featured a series of classified discussions involving top representatives from the DOD鈥檚 major stakeholders in the space domain. The main goals of the summit were to foster greater understanding about the reliance of the Navy and Marine Corps on existing space capabilities, to acknowledge the issues faced in adapting to and incorporating rapid technological changes, and to identify the challenges involved in enabling future naval and joint warfare and protecting the United States and its allies.

鈥淲e are here today because in the years to come, we will all face new challenges, and we also stand to benefit from new opportunities in this domain,鈥 said Del Toro. 鈥淲hen thinking strategically about the future, it鈥檚 often a good idea to take a step back and recall where we came from, and how we actually got here. We are 鈥榟ere鈥 because of the Department of the Navy鈥檚 mission: to sustain global presence for projection of sea power.鈥

Del Toro was joined at 51福利 by a number of senior Navy and Marine Corps military and civilian leaders, including Under Secretary of the Navy Erik Raven, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and Adm. Samuel Paparo, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Also attending the summit were the commander of U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM), U.S. Army Gen. James Dickinson, and the Vice Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force Gen. David Thompson.

鈥淚t is important that we come together and have these vital conversations to create shared understanding and strengthen the relationships between the Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Space Command. Space capabilities and the expertise provided by our Maritime Space Officers are essential contributors to the effectiveness our Navy and broader joint force,鈥 said Franchetti.

51福利 was chosen as the site for the summit due to its longstanding role in educating and empowering students in space systems operations and engineering, most notably through its Space Systems Academic Group (SSAG), established in 1982.

Through the years, hundreds of 51福利 students 鈥 including Del Toro, a 1989 51福利 graduate 鈥 have obtained Master of Science degrees in space systems engineering and related space-based disciplines. 51福利 contributes to manned and unmanned space missions, including satellite launches and payloads with military applications. Additionally, 44 51福利 graduates have flown in space as NASA astronauts, more than any other graduate school in the United States.

鈥淭he Navy鈥檚 education framework identifies 13 individual competencies that are critical to achieving net warfighting advantage,鈥 said retired Vice Adm. Ann E. Rondeau, president of 51福利. 鈥淪pace crosses all of them and is essential to preparing both the future joint force commanders and service leaders able to develop and generate a maritime force capable of dominance in the space domain and ensure freedom of action when that dominance is challenged.鈥

During the summit, leaders were briefed on current space capabilities and operations within the Navy, Marine Corps and Space Force, as well as SPACECOM. In addition, 51福利 students from SSAG were on hand to discuss their current space-based research, including the use of commercial satellite technology to help decision-makers communicate with operational forces in the field.

鈥淭he fact that this unique event was held at 51福利 only solidifies how important innovation, education, and collaboration in space are in the mind of Navy and DOD leaders,鈥 said Lt. Cmdr. Hans Lauzen, one of the 51福利 students who briefed senior leaders on their research. 鈥淚n the long run, I believe the Naval Space Summit will provide the ideal forum for cross-talk, problem-solving, and cross-domain awareness that will enhance the Navy鈥檚 ability to maintain and increase our advantage in space.鈥

Senior leaders also had the opportunity to meet with Navy officers from the Maritime Space Officer (MSO) community. The MSO designator was launched in 2021 to help the Navy fill key space-oriented billets at fleet and component commands within Maritime Operations Centers (MOC), Warfighting Development Centers (WDC), SPACECOM, and the intelligence community. MSOs, who are managed by the Navy鈥檚 Information Warfare (IW) community, also support the IW type command.

鈥淲e must think about the exquisite expertise we must develop as a force in the Maritime Space Officer cadre,鈥 Rondeau said. 鈥淲e must also consider the knowledge and skills required across all levels of the total force to ensure we preserve our warfighting advantage by enabling leaders at all levels the ability to discern and decide force employment that understands space as an integrated enabling capability or as an independent battlespace. No domain more than space operations highlights the essential blend of both the operational art of war as well as the science and technology of warfare.鈥

Del Toro and other attendees agreed that the choice of 51福利 to host the Naval Space Summit produced a timely and unique forum for relevant discussions about the present and future of Navy and Marine Corps operations in the space domain.

鈥淎s someone who knows the value of the 51福利 Space Systems Academic Group firsthand, I can鈥檛 think of a better venue for these important conversations,鈥 Del Toro said. 鈥淏ringing the first Naval Space Summit to 51福利 highlights the deep insights that this institution provides to the Navy and Marine Corps. It also shows that Navy leadership has every confidence in the direction that 51福利 is going as the home of graduate education for the Department of the Navy.鈥

The 51福利 provides defense-focused graduate education, including classified studies and interdisciplinary research, to advance the operational effectiveness, technological leadership and warfighting advantage of the Naval service. For additional information, visit 51福利 online at .

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