Commander, U.S. Space Command, addresses U.S. Naval War College

Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander, U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM), delivered a lecture at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, as part of the school’s Perspectives on Modern War series on Sept. 23, 2026.

Whiting told students, faculty and staff in attendance about how USSPACECOM plans, executes, and integrates military spacepower into multi-domain global operations in order to deter aggression, defend national interests, and when necessary, defeat threats.

“We need to increase the IQ of the joint force ... in space warfare,” Whiting said. “This is not because it’s a future problem that’s going to hit you in five years or hit those coming behind you. It’s because this is an issue right now. It is a core part of how we fight across the joint force.

“We all have to prepare ourselves that any actor we fight in any conflict from today moving forward will have access to ubiquitous imagery from space,” he later continued, adding: “We have to fundamentally rethink our terrestrial infrastructure that supports our space capabilities.”

As commander of USSPACECOM, Whiting is responsible for defending U.S. and allied interests in the space domain while providing space-enabled combat effects to joint warfighters around the globe. He exercises combatant command authority over soldiers, Marines, sailors, airmen and guardians operating space-based systems terrestrially and on-orbit.

“The space domain is integral to everything we do in the military,” said NWC President Rear Adm. Darryl Walker. “Some of our warfighters in attendance today will go back to the force and work in the space domain directly, while others will take over command of ground units, submarines, destroyers or aircraft squadrons – in all of those cases, our graduates need to understand how our satellite infrastructure is evolving and what our adversaries may be doing in that same space.

“There is no one more qualified to educate us about this critical subject matter with our students, faculty and staff than Gen. Whiting,” he continued. “Our Perspectives on Modern Warfare lectures ensure the U.S. Naval War College continues to hear directly from the highest-level military leaders on the issues facing today's forces, so that we understand the contemporary battle space and stay aligned with their priorities. I want to thank Gen. Whiting for taking the time out of his busy schedule to visit the war college.”

Whiting is a 1989 distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with a degree in aeronautical engineering. He is a space operations officer and has commanded the 13th Space Warning Squadron; the 614th Air and Space Operations Center and Joint Space Operations Center; the 21st Space Wing; and the Combined Force Space Component Command and 14th Air Force.

Prior to his current position, the general was commander of Space Operations Command at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado.

In the war college’s Perspectives on Modern War course, students take lessons from their core curriculum and apply them to emerging challenges in the international security environment. Content from senior guest lectures – such as Whiting – is merged with insights from annual symposia, seminars, reading assignments, and wargaming results to be synthesized as students answer critical warfighting questions of the day.

Unlike other Naval War College core courses, Perspectives on Modern War runs throughout the academic year.

Established in 1884, NWC informs today’s decision-makers and educates tomorrow’s leaders by providing educational experiences and learning opportunities that develop their ability to hedge aggressively, innovate continuously, fight distributively, delegate confidently, and command with clarity within complex battlespaces.

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