The first commercial space war.

That's how General J Raymond, the former chief of space operations for the U.S.

Space Force, characterizes the conflict in Ukraine.

In the early 90s with characterizes the conflict in Ukraine.

In the early 90s with Operation Desert Storm,

which some view is the first space war

where we took strategic space capabilities

and integrated them into theater operations largely for the first time.

We saw the advantages that provide.

Well, I think others now have seen the advantages that that has provided us as well.

So in the case of Ukraine, Ukraine is not a space-fearing nation on its own, but it has been able

to leverage commercial space capabilities for its advantage.

You know, for example, they've been able to leverage Starlink

to stay connected across the globe.

They've been able to leverage commercial ISR satellites

to be able to have more awareness of the battle space.

They've been able to leverage GPS satellites that the whole world can leverage for free.

And so we have seen their use of commercial space providing them advantage.

And I would say that just as some people view Desert Storm as the first space war,

I would suggest that some will view... the first or the Ukraine conflict is the first

or the Ukraine conflict is the first commercial space war.

When the Space Force was established in 2019, General Raymond served as the new branch's first ever chief.

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