Readout of STARCOM Senior Leaders' Travel to France

Published Feb. 1, 2023
By Space Training and Readiness Command Public Affairs

PARIS, France -- Maj. Gen. Shawn Bratton, commander of Space Training and Readiness Command, and Chief Master Sgt. James Seballes, senior enlisted leader of STARCOM, traveled to France Jan. 26-30 to discuss current and future space cooperation initiatives and strengthen the defense relationship between the two nations.

In Toulouse, France they met with representatives from across the French space community, including civil, commercial and defense officials. Their visit began at the Toulouse Space Campus — the future location of French Space Command — where they were given an overview briefing of the command and toured their facilities.

The leaders then visited Aerospace Valley, which is a French cluster of aerospace engineering companies and research centers, where they spoke with defense and commercial representatives focusing on public/private collaboration. Lastly, they concluded their stop in Toulouse by touring the Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE Supaero), one of Europe’s leaders in aerospace engineering higher education, to explore possible educational exchange opportunities.

From there, they met with Maj. Gen. Philippe Adam, commander of French Space Command, at the Ministry of Armed Forces in Paris, France. Their discussions focused on advancing shared objectives including better information sharing, developing mutual education and training opportunities, and advancing toward substantive combined operations in the space domain.

Bratton said he anticipates STARCOM to support increased collaboration with France as French Space Command moves toward Fully Mission Capable status. The two sides also discussed evaluating immediate and long-term plans to make select advanced education and training courses at the National Security Space Institute available to French space professionals.

Furthermore, both sides welcomed additional opportunities for coalition exercises and training, to complement France’s current participation in exercises such as U.S. Space Command’s Global Sentinel and STARCOM’s Schriever Wargame Series.

In support of Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman’s “Partner to Win” line of effort, Bratton emphasized the strong bond between the U.S. and France and the importance of continued cooperation between the two space-faring nations to ensure a secure, safe, and stable space domain.