East Central Alabama News

U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Adam Smith (D-WA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, have issued a statement following their return from a bipartisan congressional delegation to Luxembourg, France, and Italy. The delegation focused on allied cooperation concerning National Security Space issues.

Joining Rogers and Smith were Representatives Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Gary Palmer (R-AL), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA). This marked the first international delegation primarily centered on National Security Space topics.

"The House Armed Services Committee was one of the first to recognize the growing threats we face in space from malicious actors like the Chinese Communist Party and Russia, and that because of their actions space has now become a warfighting domain," said Rogers. "Our work to address this new reality led to the creation of the U.S. Space Force in 2019 as a separate military service."

Smith added, "Since then, the threats to U.S. and allied satellites have only increased, as demonstrated by nearly daily attacks from Russia on government and commercial satellites as they wage their unjust war against Ukraine."

The delegation emphasized the importance of working with allies to counter these increasing threats. "In our engagements with Luxembourg, France, and Italy," they noted, "we were encouraged to find partners who not only openly acknowledge the threat but have started to realign their own organizations and industrial base to respond."

The representatives highlighted that success would depend on bilateral agreements and multilateral alliances such as NATO. They stressed that capabilities like space situational awareness would be foundational for building resiliency and supporting deterrence in space.

During their visit to Italy, members of the delegation met with U.S. Space Force Guardians from the 163rd Electromagnetic Warfare Combat Detachment. "It was especially heartening to meet such smart and passionate members of our newest service," they remarked.

The visit comes at a time when the U.S. and NATO allies face unprecedented threats. The delegation reiterated the need for a strong NATO alliance, urging allies to meet or exceed their 2% defense spending commitments.