The United States welcomed Poland and Japan to its military satellite network after both countries signed agreements that granted them access to the military’s Wideband Global Satcom satellite system.
The WGS grants communication access to “worldwide, flexible, high-capacity” systems designed to interact with the country’s government agencies and the Department of Defense. It also allows communications among “international partners and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,” according to the United States Space Force. It is considered the backbone of our military’s “wideband satellite communications capability.” The system grants vital services connecting U.S. military tactical forces with “combatant commanders” during all operations in peacetime and wartime.
The inclusion of Poland and Japan to the satellite network will expand essential communication abilities to important allies in different regions of the world. It is considered to be a strategic expansion to help protect U.S. interests and that of “several other partner nations” with “high capacity communications” in the event of critical military operations. Currently, there are 10 WGS satellites in Earth’s orbit, according to Space News.
Poland and Japan are the latest additions to the WGS coalition of countries from all over the globe, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Czech Republic, and other NATO countries when needed, Space News reported.
“Alliances are vital as the U.S. and its allies face new threats from anti-satellite technologies being developed by Russia and China,” said Lt. Col. Nicholas Yeung, chief of the capabilities development division of the SSC’s international affairs office.
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Poland and Japan’s additions to the WGS network come as geopolitical strategies, foreign affairs, and national security issues pivot to space-related matters. In recent years, NATO has added “space-based initiatives” as part of its focus on new security concerns.
“More nations have started to prioritize space as a national need they want to invest in. This aligns with NATO’s increased focus on space in response to the evolving security landscape,” said Deanna Ryals, director of the Space Systems Command’s international affairs office.