US Space Force Foreign Military Sales Increased by 500%

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The U.S. has by far the most powerful military in the world but is also the biggest exporter of military hardware. And it’s not even close. The U.S. had a 42% market share globally from 2019 to 2023, and according to recent data shared by representatives, the market domination will be even bigger. 

Namely, the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) made an increase in foreign sales by 500% in the last two years. Moreover, the military service made a $126 million deal with the Canadian Armed Forces for the sale of an ultra-high frequency satellite fleet, its biggest sale to date. 

Space technology has before mostly been available to the U.S. military, but allies and friendly nations now also prioritize these tracking technologies. Notably, the Canadian Armed Forces will have access to a technology that provides ultra-high frequency communication to troops, even during bad weather or in remote places.

“As the dual use of space technologies and capabilities comes into play, it’s harder to say that we shouldn’t be selling these capabilities or we shouldn’t be providing them to friendly nations,” said SSC International Affairs Director Deanna Ryals during a press conference.

Still, the Space Force is cautious, and thus, will make this technology only available to allies. Offering it to other countries is crucial, though, as according to Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein, space security needs a collaborative and global approach.

However, some insiders question whether the service will be able to meet its goals. A report from RAND Corp. in January 2024 highlighted concerns, noting that insufficient, interoperable communication standards and infrastructure across various classification levels hinder effective collaboration.

This obviously won’t stop the Space Force from pushing foreign sales even further. In fact, the service works closely with the Air Force’s international affairs to streamline the foreign military sale process even further. To that end, the U.S. Space Force created a Space Technology and Resources baseline, consisting of all potential export products.

“If we’ve got some capabilities that we know we’re ready to put out there for sale or for export, having that assessment done ahead of time that these are assets that we’re going to sell makes it a lot easier,” finished Ryals.

Ashton Henning