What the USSF International Partnership Strategy Means for the Global Defense & Space Industry

Introduction

‍The United States Space Force (USSF) has released its International Partnership Strategy (June 2025), a major policy document that solidifies the role of allied and partner nations in shaping U.S. military space capabilities. Framed around the principle of “Strength Through Partnerships,” the Strategy lays out a clear vision for how the USSF intends to operate as a globally integrated force across Force Design, Force Development, and Force Employment.

You can read the full document here:

USSF International Partnership Strategy (PDF) https://www.spaceforce.mil/Portals/2/Documents/SAF_2025/USSF%20International%20Partnership%20Strategy.pdf

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‍Why It Matters‍

For international stakeholders in the defense and commercial space sectors, this strategy is more than a bureaucratic milestone—it signals a tangible shift in how space collaboration will be operationalized and funded over the coming decade. Notably, the Strategy recognizes that:

• No single nation can secure the space domain alone.
• Multinational cooperation is essential to resilience, deterrence, and innovation.
• Commercial and civil space sectors are vital partners in future architectures.

This approach reaffirms the U.S. commitment to interoperability and creates significant entry points for trusted partners and allies to contribute, shape, and co-develop next-generation space solutions.

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Key Takeaways for Industry

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1. Create: Strategic Co-Design of Future Space Architectures

‍Under the “Create” Line of Effort (LOE), the USSF will integrate allied input at the earliest stages of concept and capability design—marking a departure from previous models where partners were often invited only at later phases. For defense and space contractors, this offers new collaborative opportunities in system architecture, R&D, and wargaming.

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‍2. Integrate: Standards, Education, and Acquisition Reform

‍By advocating common international and commercial standards, and promoting reciprocal training pipelines, the Strategy opens the door for companies that can demonstrate alignment with U.S. and allied interoperability objectives. Multinational firms can expect clearer pathways to participate in U.S. acquisition activities through harmonized processes and new “fast-track” lanes for foreign-developed prototypes.

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‍3. Operate: Coalition Operations and Embedded Expertise

‍The USSF is committing to operationalizing its partnerships—not just coordinating them on paper. This includes embedded personnel, shared exercises, and exchange programs. Industry can support by developing interoperable mission systems, sustainment solutions, and scalable training platforms that work across U.S. and allied forces.

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‍Strategic Implications

• For Canadian and European defense firms: This Strategy provides justification for deeper bilateral engagement with USSF programs, as well as potential for co-funded capabilities.
• For Indo-Pacific partners: The emphasis on early integration may catalyze new investments in regional ground infrastructure, satellite relay systems, and secure comms networks.
• For U.S.-based primes and integrators: The implementation of this Strategy will likely shape future RFP requirements to prioritize alliance-ready systems and multinational interoperability.

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Recommendations

‍The Samuel Group DC recommends clients and partners:

1. Review the Strategy and map how their existing or planned capabilities fit across the three LOEs (Create, Integrate, Operate).
2. Engage early with USSF and Department of the Air Force stakeholders to align R&D roadmaps with evolving Force Design priorities.
3. Position proposals to emphasize co-development, international standards compliance, and multi-domain operational flexibility.

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Final Thoughts

‍The release of the USSF International Partnership Strategy marks a critical juncture for allied cooperation in space. It is both an invitation and a challenge: an invitation to co-create resilient, coalition-ready space capabilities—and a challenge to align business strategies with a new paradigm of integrated spacepower.

At the Samuel Group, we believe this Strategy will define the next decade of U.S. and allied defense space policy. Our Washington, D.C. office stands ready to support defense and aerospace firms as they navigate this shift.

For a strategic consultation or briefing on the implications of the Strategy, contact our policy team at: info@samuelgroup.us