Ibadan, 18 October 2024. – The U.S. Space Command has formally recognized Germany’s membership in Multinational Force-Operation Olympic Defender, starting October 11. The operation represents a growing commitment among the closest allies in space to jointly strengthen defenses and deter aggression, ensuring space remains a domain that benefits all of humanity.
U.S. Space Force Gen. Stephen Whiting, USSPACECOM and Multinational Force OOD commander, German Ministry of Defence Military Strategy and Operations Director-General Lt. Gen. Gunter Schneider, and representatives from Australia, Canada and New Zealand participated in a formal accessions ceremony in Berlin to commemorate the historic occasion.
Originally established in 2013 under U.S. Strategic Command, OOD has expanded to a multinational effort that focuses on optimizing space operations, improving mission assurance, enhancing the resilience of space-based systems, synchronizing efforts to strengthen deterrence against hostile actors and reducing the spread of debris orbiting the Earth.
Remarking on the partnerships, Whiting said, “Space is truly a team sport. The addition of Germany to our roster of growing like-minded partners contributes to our collective ability to address the growing threats in the domain and ensure space remains safe and secure for future generations. The diverse perspectives, capabilities and opportunities for greater information sharing that our partners bring to bear is an asymmetric advantage that’s proof we are stronger together.”
Likewise, Schneider added, “Our common efforts as allies to increase our Space Domain Awareness will not only lead to a better understanding of the space domain but it will also dissuade possible adversaries from dangerous and escalatory behavior in space as they will have to take into account that we can closely observe and evaluate each of their actions.”