Space Security and Defense Program

The Space Security and Defense Program (SSDP) is a joint initiative funded under Program Element (PE) 1206730SF in the Department of the Air Force's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) budget, specifically supporting the United States Space Force (USSF) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). SSDP serves as the center of excellence for developing options and strategies both materiel and non-materiel that enhance the resilience of the National Security Space (NSS) Enterprise. Operating under the authority of the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, SSDP is positioned to deliver objective, cost-effective, and operationally relevant space protection solutions for national security stakeholders.

The primary goal of SSDP is to support NSS stakeholders including the DoD, Intelligence Community, civil, commercial, and international space entities by leading and collaborating on susceptibility and vulnerability assessments, as well as threat mitigation processes. SSDP conducts foundational analyses to understand adversary counterspace threats and blue (friendly) operations environments. The program executes projects to discover, analyze, and validate both near-term and long-term options for detecting, tracking, and mitigating emerging space and transmedium threats. These efforts result in recommendations for materiel solutions, such as system or architectural requirements, as well as non-materiel solutions like tactics, techniques, procedures (TTPs), concepts of operations (CONOPS), and space policy.

The main project funded within SSDP focuses on space protection and survivability. In FY 2025 and FY 2026, SSDP's analytical priorities include ensuring the resilience of near-term and future space-enabled missions, offensive space control force design, enhancing space control weapon effectiveness, and understanding space's role in the cross-domain fight. The program supports the development of Government Reference Architectures and validates force design and joint service architecture recommendations through integrated modeling and analysis, including efforts like Assault Breaker II and kill chain analyses.

SSDP's activities span both kinetic and non-kinetic options, cross-domain solutions, and policy, doctrine, and strategic messaging analyses. The program's holistic approach aims to support safe, sustainable, and flexible on-orbit operations and to deter adversaries from engaging in space conflict. SSDP shares its threat analyses and models across the NSS enterprise to ensure efficiency and rapid dissemination of results. These efforts contribute to more resilient space effects for national security missions.

The program also funds management services, including program support, infrastructure, oversight, advisory, and technical support. All contracts within SSDP are awarded using competitive procedures to maximize efficiency and value. The FY 2026 budget reflects a reduction in funding, primarily due to reallocation to other Space Force priorities and a decrease in advisory and assistance services to promote government efficiency, in alignment with Executive Order 14222.

SSDP's schedule includes ongoing efforts in non-traditional effects (multi-domain and electronic warfare), space control (domain awareness and future technologies), wargaming, intelligence and policy assessments, and integrated modeling and analysis. These activities are planned to continue through FY 2030, reflecting the program's commitment to continuous adaptation and innovation in response to evolving threats and mission requirements.