The US has signed a deal with Italy to expand mutual collaboration in the space security sector.
The agreement will strengthen interoperability between the US Space Force (USSF) and the Italian Air Force, bolstering its services and improving on its missions and activities through space security updates.
USSF Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman and Italian Air Force Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Luca Goretti signed the statement in Rome, with the aim to protect and defend the space domain in shared recognition of its relevance to defense and deterrence.
“In a context of increasing strategic importance of space, the statement of understanding between the US Space Force and Italian Air Force represents a valuable opportunity to improve skills and contribute to collective security,” a statement from the USSF reads.
Bilateral cooperation, as included in the countries’ pre-existing Military Personnel Exchange Program, will also be one of the main focuses of the agreement.
Updating the Space Force
Part of the USSF’s recent efforts in expanding its defense capabilities include the establishment of relay ground stations in the US and the UK.
The new ground stations will support the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared program in its effort to build satellite constellations that track missile launches and potential attacks.
The agency also granted operational acceptance for the Survivable Endurable Evolution (S2E2) threat detection system, replacing the Mobile Ground System built in the 1960s.
The S2E2 will combine new command and control functions, satellite-based sensors with ground-based processing, and early missile warning with GPS-based nuclear detonation detection.
