For the United States Space Force, that challenge came in the form of Resolute Space 2025, the service’s largest ever exercise, designed to train Guardians to operate under contested, degraded and operationally constrained conditions in space.
And when it came to finding a worthy adversary to spar against, the US Space Force turned to none other than … itself.
Opposition forces known as “Aggressors” were drawn from three highly specialised squadrons under Delta 11, Space Training and Readiness Command. Together, these units formed a multi-domain threat team:
- The 527th Space Aggressor Squadron: specialising in electromagnetic warfare.
- The 57th Space Aggressor Squadron: experts in orbital warfare.
- The 33rd Range and Aggressor Squadron: focused on cyber warfare.
Their role? To create a complex and realistic threat environment for operational units to confront – replicating the tactics, technologies and behaviours of potential adversaries in orbit and across the electromagnetic spectrum.
“We’re charged with knowing the threat, teaching it, and bringing it to life during exercises,” said Major Michael Husar, director of operations at the 527th SAS, based at Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado. “These events are meticulously planned to make our operational forces sharper. When they improve, the entire force strengthens.”
The Aggressors operate from both indoor mission control floors and mobile field locations, deploying flexible, transportable systems to simulate attacks or interference from anywhere on the globe.
This ability to operate from various locations mirrors the unpredictability of real-world conflict and tests the Space Force’s ability to remain effective under pressure.
Throughout Resolute Space, the Aggressors simulated a variety of real-world threat behaviours: jamming satellite communications, spoofing or disrupting navigation systems and launching cyber attacks designed to strain and penetrate space networks.
Each scenario was carefully built into the broader wargame to test how well Guardians could respond, adapt and overcome. Supporting the safe execution of these scenarios was another group under Delta 11: the range operations professionals. These included the:
- 25th Space Range Squadron (electromagnetic warfare).
- 98th Space Range Squadron (orbital warfare).
- 33rd Range and Aggressor Squadron (cyber warfare range support).
While the training was conducted in a controlled environment, the intent was anything but gentle. Exercise designers deliberately pushed participants to and often beyond their operational breaking points. The aim was to generate innovation, sharpen tactics and ensure that no adversary could gain the upper hand in a real conflict.
“Resolute Space is about breaking the mould,” said Lieutenant Colonel Shawn Green, deputy exercise director and Commander of the 527th SAS. “We’re forcing Guardians to think faster, smarter and more flexibly in how they operate in a contested space domain.”
The exercise also highlighted how the Space Force fits into broader joint and coalition operations. It was designed not in isolation but as part of a complex web of air, land, maritime, cyber and space integration, ensuring that space capabilities enhance and support the entire US and allied warfighting enterprise.
“Our job is to give our joint force, our partners and the world confidence that our space-based capabilities are secure and effective,” Lt Col Green said. “Deterrence is our primary objective. But if deterrence fails, the US Space Force will be ready to fight and win.”
As Resolute Space 2025 wraps, it offers a clear reminder: the battles of the future may be fought in the shadows of satellites and in the glow of data streams but the mission remains the same: be ready, be agile and win decisively.