‘We’re Just Treading Water’: Space Force Seeks Money, Personnel to Do Its Job

Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, says the department needs to increase its funding and workforce as it takes on greater responsibilities.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 02:58 PM ET

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Jack Daleo

U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman delivers remarks at the Air and Space Forces Association Warfighter Symposium in Aurora, Colorado, on March 3. [Courtesy: U.S. Space Force/Emmeline James]

Key Takeaways:

General Chance Saltzman warns the U.S. Space Force is "just treading water" with shrinking resources, despite space rapidly becoming a critical warfighting domain and adversaries advancing their capabilities.
The Space Force faces significant budget cuts, receiving less than requested for FY25 and experiencing a real-term reduction in funding, alongside personnel constraints, hindering its ability to develop crucial offensive and defensive capabilities.
Saltzman emphasizes the imperative of achieving space superiority through improved situational awareness, enhanced defensive measures, and counter-space capabilities, stressing that investment in the Space Force is vital for national security and the effectiveness of all other military branches.

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General Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations for the U.S. Space Force, is warning that the department is “just treading water” at a time when space is becoming a “warfighting domain.”

During an interview Wednesday, Saltzman told Lieutenant General David Deptula, dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, that the Space Force needs more money and personnel to enable new offensive and defensive capabilities. He called American space superiority an imperative.