Top leaders of the Air and Space Forces, including Department of the Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., and Chief of Space Operations Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, traveled to Europe in mid-July to emphasize the importance of strong relationships with allies and partners in confronting and deterring threats from China, Russia, and other adversaries. The leaders stressed the need for seamless “day-zero interoperability” that is “integrated by design” to ensure multi-domain collaboration with international allies and partners. The 2022 Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference in London was a high-profile gathering of service chiefs and senior defense policy makers from around the world where Brown spoke about the importance of taking an integrated approach in managing people, policies, and processes to maintain a leading edge. Raymond highlighted the importance of space and how the US and allies are accelerating partnerships and cooperation in that critical domain. Kendall attended the Farnborough Air Show, one of the most significant events in the air and space industry, where he emphasized the need to tap into the intellectual capital and creativity industry brings to the table, including international partners. The leaders stressed that competitors are seeking to turn the global security system on its head and rewrite the rules in their favor and according to their authoritarian view of the world, threatening global stability and efforts for peace. The official posture of the United States is a concept Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calls “integrated deterrence,” an approach that merges the joint force, allies, and partners into a coordinated and formidable force that has capabilities in the air, land and sea, as well as space and cyber. Brown emphasized that strong bonds with allies and partners are key to success, and an approach to these relationships he called “integrated by design” is necessary. Raymond acknowledged that the Space Force, and by extension, the US, “cannot go it alone” in the face of threats to international security, and emphasized the importance of working through differences, establishing common goals, frameworks, and plans, as well as training and operating together as a coalition.
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