U.S. Strategic Command: meeting global challenges

In order to respond to the rapidly changing face of threats facing national security, U.S. Strategic Command was established in 2002 to replace Strategic Air Command and U.S. Space Command. This development marks an unprecedented fusion of nuclear forces and space-based operations. Four main missions are entailed in this initiative: global strike, information operations, global missile defense, and reconnaissance. Throughout this structuring, emphasis will be on the integration of all available resources to identify and globally respond to threats. With this comes the shifting of the term strategic away from a strictly nuclear context back to its original meaning. These innovations demand a highly coordinated joint task operations capacity allowing faster and more accurate mobilization of assets. The many stakes involved in shaping this cohesive strategy are presented here.