Forging the Future of Space Warfare: Space Force Battle Management Wargaming with Lt. Col. Amber Dawson

Published April 16, 2025
By Brandon Kalloo Sanes
Space Training and Readiness Command

PATRICK SPACE FORCE Base, Fla. -- The United States Space Force is in the midst of a historic effort to define how it will conduct battle management—the critical process of executing control, directing operations, and adapting in real time during space-based engagements. In October 2024, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman issued formal guidance requiring the Space Force to develop and fully evaluate battle management concepts in support of service-wide command and control operations specific to the space domain by the end of 2025.

The Chalkydri series of wargames was created to address new questions surrounding command, control and battle management in space. These wargames, led by Space Delta 10’s 10th Force Development Squadron, under Space Training and Readiness Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado, are designed to rigorously test competing models and identify the most effective battle management frameworks for operating in the space domain. The concepts being tested will focus on how the Space Force will execute control and direct space assets in new ways.

“Our goal is to ensure the Space Force has a data-informed answer on how we approach battle management as a service,” said Lt. Col. Amber Dawson, commander of 10th FDS. “We’re evaluating different approaches in a structured way so we can make informed recommendations to senior leaders.”

The Challenge: Defining Space Battle Management
For the Space Force, battle management is far more than a theoretical discussion—it is essential for operational success in an era where potential adversaries are aggressively developing counter-space capabilities. Unlike traditional military operations, space engagements unfold in a highly dynamic, often unseen environment, where spacecraft, sensors, and warfighting effects must be controlled with precision.

Woman in uniform at desk. — Capt. Tamara Fumagalli, 16th Electronic Warfare Squadron, supports the Blue Cell – Space Electronic Warfare team during Chalkydri 1 at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, Feb. 18–21, 2025. The three-day wargame, led by Space Delta 10, evaluated command and control concepts for the space domain. (Courtesy photo)

To execute control effectively, Space Force leaders must determine who directs battle management, where key decision-making nodes reside, and how authority is distributed across the operational structure.

“If we don’t get this battle management thing right, everything else falls apart,” Dawson said. “We can have the best plans, the best orders, and the best capabilities, but if we go into execution and there’s friction across the community about responsibilities, authorities, and information flows, then none of it will matter.”

How the Space Force is Testing Battle Management
The Chalkydri series consists of three wargaming events, each building upon the previous one to refine and validate the battle management concept. The first event, Chalkydri 1, was held in early 2025 and served as an initial evaluation phase.

This wargame brought together approximately 30 participants from several organizations, representing various operational points across the Space Force. The objective was to compare and assess multiple courses of action, which are competing models for how battle management should function within the service.

The event was structured across three days:

Man in uniform at desk. — Maj. Christopher Nelson, Combined Space Operations Center, participates in the Chalkydri 1 wargame as part of the Blue Cell – CSpOC team at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, Feb. 18–21, 2025. The exercise, hosted by Space Training and Readiness Command’s Space Delta 10, tested competing battle management frameworks for future U.S. Space Force operations. (Courtesy photo)

- Day 1: Tabletop Seminar – Participants engaged in an open discussion to refine battle management functions and information flows.
- Day 2: Role-Based Tabletop Simulation – Participants assumed roles as key operational nodes and worked through scenario-based decision-making exercises.
- Day 3: Distributed Operations Simulation – A full simulation using secure chat networks, replicating how Space Force units communicate in real-world command and control environments.

The findings from Chalkydri 1 are now informing refinements to the battle management concept. The next phase, Chalkydri 2, scheduled for Summer 2025, will integrate more robust, further developed battle management approaches, testing which courses of action perform best under realistic conditions.

“I’m incredibly proud of how rapidly our team pulled this event together,” said Dawson. “I’m also grateful for the strong participation from across the operational and intelligence communities. The ingenuity and speed shown by our design team helped deliver a purpose-built war game aligned to the Chief of Space Operations’ intent. We’re advancing an agile wargaming capability that supports the Space Force’s readiness in an increasingly contested domain.”

The Importance of Wargaming in Space Warfare
Wargaming has long been a vital tool for military innovation and preparedness. For the Space Force, it plays a unique role — enabling Guardians to test emerging concepts, evaluate future capabilities, and challenge assumptions in a digitally simulated environment. With the complexities of orbital mechanics, cyber dependencies, and rapid engagement timelines, wargaming provides a low-risk space to rehearse decision-making and refine strategies before they’re needed in real-world operations.

While traditional warfighting domains often center on visible, physical assets like tanks or ships, space operations rely on a mix of both tangible infrastructure — such as radars, antennas, and spacecraft — and digital systems. Because many space-based capabilities are remote and technologically complex, Space Force wargames often lean on high-fidelity simulations and future-oriented scenarios to realistically test decision-making and operational readiness.

“We’re not here to have abstract discussions,” Dawson emphasized. “The Space Force needs events that yield concrete, actionable insights on force structure and force development.”

What Success Looks Like

Woman in uniform typing at desk — Master Sgt. Trisha Feeney, 15th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron, contributes to the Blue Cell – Space Domain Awareness team during Chalkydri 1 at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, Feb. 18–21, 2025. The event, hosted by Space Delta 10 under Space Training and Readiness Command, focused on evaluating operational models for future space conflict scenarios. (Courtesy photo)

As Delta 10 continues refining the battle management concept, success will be measured by whether these wargames deliver clear, actionable findings for the Space Force’s future operations.

With adversaries actively developing counterspace capabilities, refining an adaptable and resilient battle management framework is as important as ever. STARCOM is moving swiftly to ensure that, should a conflict arise in space, the Space Force has the tools, structure, and agility to control space assets within a contested environment.

“To my knowledge, this is the first time we’ve done a series of battle management-focused wargames like this,” Dawson said. “It’s a historic effort for the Space Force—one that we hope will define how we operate in the contested space domain for years to come.”

About STARCOM and Space Delta 10
Space Training and Readiness Command develops combat-ready Guardians through training, education, doctrine development, capability testing, and realistic threat replication. Activated in 2021, STARCOM ensures the U.S. Space Force remains ready to protect national interests in, from, and to space. Among its five deltas, Space Delta 10 plays a critical role in shaping the future of space warfighting by leading doctrine development, wargaming, field experimentation, and concept evaluation. Its work informs the training, education, testing, and operational planning that prepare Guardians to meet the challenges of an evolving space domain.

MSgt. Andrew Miller, 3rd Space Operations Squadron (SOPS)