Space Warfighting Analysis

The Space Warfighting Analysis program, identified as Program Element (PE) 1203622SF under the Air Force's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) budget, is designed to advance the analytical capabilities of the United States Space Force (USSF). The primary goal of this program is to support the Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC) in conducting comprehensive capability area analyses, integrated modeling, and experimentation. These efforts are intended to develop operational concepts and force design guidance that inform both existing and emerging USSF missions.

A key objective of the Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC) is to collaborate with stakeholders across the National Security Space enterprise, providing independent analytic insight to validate solutions for operational needs. This analysis serves as a foundation for future capability development programs by ensuring that recommendations are grounded in rigorous modeling and threat assessment. The SWAC's work is organized into three primary focus areas: Multi-Domain Sensing, Spectrum Warfare, and Force Design Integration. Each area aligns with USSF priorities and follows a disciplined approach to discovering, analyzing, and validating concepts and the associated family of systems necessary to meet current and future mission requirements.

Within the Multi-Domain Sensing focus area, the program aims to assess and integrate sensing capabilities across various domains, including terrestrial, airborne, and space-based platforms. The objective is to enhance situational awareness and enable rapid response to emerging threats. By leveraging advanced modeling and simulation, SWAC seeks to identify gaps in current sensing architectures and recommend solutions that improve detection, tracking, and characterization of adversarial activities.

The Spectrum Warfare component of the program is dedicated to analyzing and developing strategies for electromagnetic spectrum operations. This includes evaluating current and future threats to USSF assets, as well as identifying requirements for resilient communications and electronic warfare capabilities. The goal is to ensure that USSF systems can operate effectively in contested environments, maintaining superiority in the electromagnetic spectrum through robust architectures and adaptive technologies.

The Force Design Integration focus area supports the development of integrated force design products that define future USSF mission requirements, capabilities, architectures, and priorities. This includes establishing interface standards and identifying funding needs for new and evolving weapon system capabilities. The integration process is informed by comprehensive threat analysis and is intended to guide the Service in making informed decisions about resource allocation and capability development.

The program also includes funding for emergent and unanticipated civilian pay expenses required to manage and execute the force design mission assigned to SWAC. These resources ensure that the government civilian acquisition workforce has the necessary support to conduct program office activities, technical analysis, studies, and prototyping. No funds are requested for future years as the program transitions to a different budget activity to better align with USSF and Space Operations Command (SpOC) Force Design funding.

The Space Warfighting Analysis program is classified under Budget Activity 6 (RDT&E Management Support), which encompasses research, development, testing, and evaluation efforts to sustain and modernize installations and operations for general RDT&E. The program's analytic products and recommendations are expected to play a critical role in shaping future USSF missions, ensuring that the Service remains responsive to evolving threats and technological advancements in the space domain.