The U.S. Space Force has unveiled an action plan to transform the service branch into a more data-driven and AI-enabled force and improve its ability to maintain space superiority.
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Strategic Action Plan builds on Space Force’s FY2024 plan, and recognizes the need for digital fluency within the Guardian workforce, with an emphasize on AI literacy to employ those tools to solve operational challenges in the space enterprise.
“As the world’s first digital service, the United States Space Force recognizes the critical role that data and artificial intelligence will play in maintaining space superiority,” Col. Nathen L. Iven, acting deputy chief of space operations for cyber and data, said in a statement.
Similar to its FY2024 plan, the Space Force’s FY2025 strategy places a strong emphasis on advancing data and AI governance, cultivating a workforce culture that understands the critical role of data and AI, and enhancing partnerships across government, academia, industry, and international allies.
The plan also highlights the importance of digital fluency within the Guardian workforce, and the need to create AI literacy.
“Data and AI are critical for a warfighting service that is purpose-built for space superiority. This plan charts a course to foster data literacy, equip our Guardians with cutting-edge technologies, and drive innovation,” Iven said.
While the FY2024 plan concentrated on reoptimizing data, advanced analytics, and AI technologies, the FY2025 strategy shifts focus to the rapid adoption of these technologies.
This change aims to accelerate their integration into operational processes, ensuring the Space Force can quickly leverage emerging capabilities to maintain space superiority and enhance mission effectiveness.
Under this effort the Space Force plans to register the Unified Data Library (UDL) with the Office of the Secretary of Defense as a Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP) program, track SWP metrics, and provide an execution phase entry cost estimate in line with service cost agency policies.
The Space Force also plans to deepen its understanding of AI and space technologies by collaborating with experts through the Commercial Space Office and Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Tap Lab. It also aims to establish standardized benchmarks to assess the performance of Large Language Models in space operations, focusing on mission-critical tasks and domain-specific challenges.
