Pentagon: US, 6 Allies Release Plan for 2031 Combined Space Operations Vision

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States, its four allies in the "Five Eyes" electronic surveillance and intelligence sharing program, along with Germany and France, have released a joint space operations plan to counter other major nations over the next decade, the US Defense Department announced on Tuesday.

"The United States joins Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom in the joint release of the 'Combined Space Operations (CSpO) Vision 2031' today," the Defense Department said in a press release.

The Defense Department described the CSpO as an initiative to address the overarching need to encourage responsible use of space, recognizing challenges to space sustainability, threats presented by technological advances and what it called the increasingly comprehensive and aggressive counter-space programs of other nation states.

"The 'CSpO Vision 2031' outlines the initiative’s overarching purpose and highlights its guiding principles, including: freedom of use of space, responsible and sustainable use of space, partnering while recognizing sovereignty, and upholding international law," the release said.

These guiding principles will be supported by developing and operating resilient, interoperable architectures, fostering responsible military behaviors in space and sharing intelligence and information with the goal of pursuing a safe, secure and sustainable space domain, the release added.