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Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org<\/p>\n
U.S. Space Command has conducted a second bilateral space domain awareness operation with France,\u00a0according to SPACECOM Commander Gen. Stephen Whiting.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recently executed another successful bilateral operation on orbit with France under [Multinational Force Operation Olympic Defender], demonstrating responsible dynamic space operations and reinforcing our shared resolve,\u201d Whiting said\u00a0Dec. 11\u00a0at the\u00a0Spacepower\u00a0Conference in Orlando, Fla.\u00a0\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n
\u201cOur satellites are targeted, tracked, jammed, cybered, and challenged every day,\u201d Whiting said. \u201cJust as soldiers train to fight through artillery, pilots train to fight in contested skies and sailors train to survive battle damage, space\u00a0is simply the newest front where warfighting resilience is\u00a0required.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The mission\u00a0follows a similar joint U.S.-France rendezvous and proximity operation in geosynchronous orbit in late 2024. SPACECOM<\/a> also conducted an RPO mission with the United Kingdom in September.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In a statement issued\u00a0Dec. 14,\u00a0France\u2019s\u00a0Space Command said the\u00a0operation\u00a0demonstrates\u00a0the two countries\u2019 commitment to joint maneuver in orbit.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis illustrates France\u2019s ability to conduct dynamic and responsible operations to discourage adversaries from acting against its space interests,\u201d the command said, according to a translation of the statement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n