STARCOM emphasizes importance of partnerships at I/ITSEC 2025

  • Published
  • By Brandon Kalloo Sanes
  • Space Training and Readiness Command
ORLANDO, Fla. --  Space Training and Readiness Command highlighted the value of industry and academic partnerships, each supporting STARCOM efforts to strengthen Guardian development and advance combat credibility within the Space Force, at this year’s Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference in Orlando, Fla.  

STARCOM Commander Maj. Gen. James E. Smith kicked off the command’s participation Dec. 2 by emphasizing how central space-enabled capabilities are to today’s military operations.

“As a nation, we rely on space-based capabilities for communications, navigation and the ability to obtain intelligence,” Smith said. “It is difficult to come up with a joint mission that does not rely on this space capability or have a link to space in some fashion.”

He also highlighted the command’s responsibility in ensuring those effects remain reliable for national defense.

“Every day at STARCOM and in the Space Force, we focus on how we can create those operational effects,” Smith said. “Our goal is to secure national interests and help the joint force remain effective.”

Following an initial fireside discussion, Smith joined senior representatives from across the services and allied nations during the Senior Leader Panel, where participants addressed how emerging threats, new technologies and digital transformation continue to shape the War Department’s approach to training and readiness.

Partnering with industry and academia

Over two days and six panels, STARCOM leaders delivered a clear message: speed is vital to meeting operational demands in space. Industry accelerates delivery of training solutions, while academia contributes to the broader educational foundation required for Guardian development.

These themes came into focus during a discussion with STARCOM’s Space Delta 11, which oversees the Space Force’s training ranges and exercise enterprise, providing realistic threat replication to prepare Guardians for real-world challenges. Col. Agustin “Rico” Carrero, commander of Delta 11, outlined how it’s more important for his team to receive quick solutions to meet today’s requirements than waiting for a 100-percent solution years from now.

“Where we can benefit from partnering within industry and academia is identifying the opportunities for the quick delivery of minimum viable product for modeling and simulation,” Carrero said. “My priority as the Delta 11 Commander is to provide capabilities and venues to Combat Forces Command to demonstrate and increase their combat proficiency. I must improve and operate available capabilities, even if they are not perfect, so long as they meet our needs.”

Rather than waiting for perfect solutions, leaders underscored the need for timely delivery of training and capabilities, grounded in threat-informed realism, and supported through collaboration that enables both near-term readiness and long-term force development.

Chief Master Sgt. Karmann-Monique Pogue, command senior enlisted leader of STARCOM, drove that point home during a joint senior enlisted leader panel discussion.

“Every service is feeling the pressure of an operating environment that is faster, more complex and less forgiving,” Pogue said. “The threats are evolving quickly, and technology cycles are measured in months or weeks, no longer in years. The demand for joint interoperability isn't a ‘nice to have.’ It's mission essential.”
 

 

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