RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Through its publications, INSS provides rigorous, forward‑looking research and analysis on critical national security issues that support the joint warfighter and inform Department of War decision‑makers

 
News | April 16, 2026

Targets, Treaties, and Trade Secrets: Understanding Space Hybrid Architecture’s Legal Challenges

By Kim Sloan and Todd Pennington Potomac Institute for Policy Studies

The Department of War (DoW) strategy for joint warfighting includes a United States Space Force (USSF) hybrid architecture comprised of multilayered publicly- and privately-owned systems to enable the seamless flow of data during peace and conflict. To effectively use a hybrid architecture in a conflict, commanders will need to understand the legal considerations, arrangements, guardrails, risks, and challenges of the individual participants, whether sovereign countries or commercial entities.

This paper builds on the recent Potomac Institute for Policy Studies report “Making Space: Clearing the Way for Hybrid Architecture" by discussing the potential legal considerations that could impact a commander’s ability to use a space hybrid architecture in conflict.

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