Space Force Opens New Ops Floor to Streamline Intel Process

A new combined operations floor will host Space Force Guardians from two different intelligence organizations, with the goal of better integrating intel into current military space operations.  

The Space Intelligence Production Cell, or SPIC, was formally established in a Sept. 26 ribbon-cutting ceremony at Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base in Ohio. 

The National Space Intelligence Center’s 4th Intelligence Analysis Squadron and Space Delta 7’s 76th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Squadron will each contribute personnel to the new cell.

“The whole reason we’re here, honestly, is because we were to some degree missing that link between the intelligence apparatus … to get data at the speed and scale necessary down to the combatant commands and the decision-makers to make those decisions,” Lt. Col. Aaron Echols, head of the 4th Intelligence Analysis Squadron told reporters in a briefing.

The 76th ISR Squadron gathers and fuses intelligence related to space threats “from all available sources,” according to a fact sheet. The 4th Intel Analysis Squadron, part of the National Space Intelligence Center, provides “in-depth analysis of technical intelligence,” according to a release.

The SIPC helps bridge the gap between the two.

“There’s been a multitude of units and growth from an intelligence perspective, really getting those structures and infrastructure built in order to really enable the joint war fight,” Echols said. “And so, the importance of SIPC is giving that actionable intelligence to those decision-makers and risk-takers to make it effective.” 

Since its establishment in 2019, the Space Force—a member of the Intelligence Community— has been working to elevate and institutionalize its space intelligence mission.

In 2022, the service and the Director of National Intelligence created the National Space Intelligence Center to create intelligence products that support operations and decision-making. It has since been dedicated as a field operating agency, essentially serving as the Space Force’s nucleus for intelligence expertise.

That organization was formed from units taken from the Air Force’s National Air and Space Intelligence Center, and the two hubs are co-located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. While NASIC has been supporting space intelligence efforts since the 1950s, NSIC is more specialized in on-orbit operations and threats.

The new Space Intelligence Production Center builds on that progress, Echols said, by adding an element from Space Operations Command to tie closer with day-to-day operations.

Beyond that, SIPC will also inform broader Space Force strategies and acquisition plans, according to Lt. Col. Stefan Katz, commander of the 76th ISR Squadron. Because the cell draws from dozens of data streams—from open-source to signals intelligence—it’s well positioned to provide feedback on how systems are performing and how they could be improved by new and existing technologies like AI and automation. 

“I would argue that there’s a dimension to that where we can help drive future force design based off the knowledge that is generated here,” he said.  

The recent ribbon-cutting is the first step in a longer-term vision to establish a 150-person operations floor at Wright-Patterson that brings together several organizations, Katz said. For now, the cell will reside in renovated space at Springfield-Buckley and will largely rely on existing staff. 

“That’s the long game,” Katz said. “There’s plenty of time for visions to evolve but we’re gaining serious traction.”