Space Is a Commander’s Business — Interview with US Colonel Jonathan Whitaker

Space is woven into the way NATO operates: the navigation that guides Allied forces, the communications that connect them, and the missile warning that helps commanders understand a developing threat. Much of that support happens beyond our view. Its effects reach across the Alliance.

In this episode of The Allied Airpower Podcast, we feature the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies’ interview with U.S. Space Force Colonel Jonathan Whitaker, chief of staff of NATO’s Space Theatre Component, co-located with Allied Air Command at Ramstein, Germany. Speaking during his visit to the Marshall Center, Colonel Whitaker explores how space is changing military operations, why commanders increasingly need space expertise, and how nations with different capabilities can contribute to a shared mission.

He describes recognising space as a front in its own right, where access can be contested and capabilities can provide an operational advantage. He discusses emerging satellite architectures intended to strengthen missile warning and tactical communications, connecting developments in orbit to the practical needs of forces below. Those possibilities give commanders a reason to bring space specialists into their planning and exercises.

Listen to the full conversation for Colonel Whitaker’s perspective on NATO’s growing space mission, the value of multinational cooperation, and the opportunities ahead.

Recorded Monday, 28 September 2026.

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