International cooperation at the heart of space security
Combined Space Operations Initiative partners meet in Florence, Italy, to enhance space security.
The Principals' board, 2024. All rights reserved.
The Combined Space Operations Initiative (CSpO) partners exchanged views on space threats, conducted a tabletop exercise, and endorsed a joint statement, reaffirming the importance of CSpO’s mission and the commitment of its members to the Outer Space Treaty.
CSpO is a 10-nation partnership which comprises Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. Its mission is to lead as responsible space actors and to protect and defend against hostile space activities. CSpO is pursuing activities to coordinate defence space activities, address emerging threats, and promote the lawful and responsible use of space.
From communications and banking to directing and securing information advantage for our armed forces, space services are fundamental to our prosperity and defence. However, we live in an increasingly volatile and competitive world. Threats to our interests in space are proliferating, from the potential placement of nuclear weapons in space to destructive testing using direct ascent anti-satellite missiles.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, said:
We are seeing increasing competition in space, with some competitors fielding advanced capabilities that could disrupt the satellites we rely on for modern life.
It is crucial that we work alongside our allies, through partnerships like CSpO, to safeguard our interests in space.
Director General Industry, Trade and Economic Security, Avril Jolliffe, said:
It’s more important than ever that we increase our resilience and interoperability, strengthen and uphold the international rules-based order, and deter hostile acts.
No nation can do this alone – space is truly a global endeavour and CSpO is integral to how the UK is pursuing this.
Space must remain a peaceful, safe, stable, secure, and sustainable environment for the benefit of all. The UK is committed to working with the international community to reduce space threats through norms, rules, and principles of responsible space behaviours. The MOD is supporting the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the prevention of an arms race in outer space in all its aspects through the UN.
Joint Statement from The Combined Space Operations Initiative Principals’ board meeting in Italy to advance space security
The Combined Space Operations (CSpO) Initiative Principals’ Board met from 3 to 5 December 2024 in Florence, Italy. Senior representatives from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States gathered for the annual meeting. The Principals emphasized the importance of the responsible and lawful use of space, discussed existing and emerging threats to space systems, and identified further opportunities for collaboration and cooperation.
This year, the CSpO Initiative celebrates its ten-year anniversary. Over these years, the Initiative has pursued collaborative efforts to meet rapidly evolving challenges and opportunities. Space services are integral to everyday lives around the world. World economies, research and development, social activities, transportation and life-saving emergency services benefit from continuous technological advances in, from, to, and through space. These services enable communications around the globe, help provide weather forecasts, deliver humanitarian aid, and support traffic navigation. These services also underpin national security and defense, helping to protect societies and the global economy.
The CSpO Initiative Principals shared perspectives on the current and future threats to the freedom of access to and use of space. Principals reiterated their national commitments to maintaining a peaceful, safe, stable, secure and sustainable outer space environment, and upholding existing legal frameworks. This includes the widely accepted Outer Space Treaty, and the obligation not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction, the installation of such weapons on celestial bodies, or the stationing of such weapons in outer space in any other manner.
The CSpO Initiative Principals discussed the importance of international dialogue and cooperation to promote safe and responsible operations in space, to reduce the risk of misperceptions, and to pursue activities in ways that minimize the creation of long-lived debris. Principals reaffirmed national commitments not to conduct destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile tests. Further, Principals shared views on and support for other multilateral efforts, including at the United Nations, to foster international cooperation, transparency, confidence-building and verification measures, and norms of responsible behavior and to ensure safety and security in space for all nations.
Working together, the CSpO Initiative Participants are becoming more agile, resilient, and interoperable; ready to seize the opportunities of the rapidly evolving space sector; and able to address the challenges presented by a competitive, contested, and congested space domain. In looking to the future, the Principals committed to working together in pursuit of current and new opportunities for cooperation and collaboration; to preserve access and freedom to operate in space, and to promote responsible space behaviours in support of economic, scientific, commercial, and security interests.
