The Department of War's 2026 National Defense Strategy marks a pivotal shift toward prioritizing homeland defense and Western Hemisphere security, emphasizing deterrence through strength while avoiding overextension abroad. As explored in analyses of the strategy's homeland focus, space emerges as a critical domain for enabling these goals, offering surveillance, communication and rapid response capabilities without deploying large ground forces.
Stephen Kitay, an Air Force veteran and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy who helped establish the Space Force during President Trump’s first term, now serves as Senior Vice President of Space Defense at True Anomaly, a Denver-based company specializing in autonomous orbital vehicles and software for space superiority. In an interview with military.com, Kitay discussed how space assets align with the strategy's priorities, drawing on his experience bridging policy and industry.
True Anomaly, founded in 2022 by former Space Force operators, designs hardware and software to counter space threats and ensure U.S. dominance. Its flagship spacecraft, the Jackal, is an Autonomous Orbital Vehicle (AOV) that serves as a multi-role vehicle with a modular, highly maneuverable platform capable of operations in low Earth orbit (LEO).
It can rendezvous in proximity to space threats to characterize and understand them. While operating in LEO now, there are future plans for geosynchronous orbit and, later down the road, possibly cislunar space. Complementing the Jackal is Mosaic, a modular and platform-agnostic software suite meant to transform commander’s intent into action; amplifying action for space superiority (built by former space force operators) that integrates AI for command, control and autonomous decision-making, allowing operators to manage constellations efficiently.
The company has raised over $400 million since 2022 to support expanded production and operations at its facilities in Denver, Colorado Springs, Long Beach, and Washington D.C., employing over 250 people; underscoring private sector agility in addressing defense needs. In short: True Anomaly builds spacecraft and software for space superiority.
On Hemispheric Defense
Space assets play a foundational role in securing U.S. borders and key Western Hemisphere terrain, such as the Panama Canal and Greenland, as outlined in the 2026 National Defense Strategy. Surveillance satellites provide real-time intelligence on threats, including narco-submarines in the Gulf of America or unauthorized incursions near strategic chokepoints, reducing reliance on manned patrols.
This approach enhances deterrence by enabling swift, non-kinetic responses; for instance, orbital imaging could detect smuggling routes invisible from ground level, supporting joint operations with regional allies. Autonomous orbital vehicles like True Anomaly's Jackal can then ensure those surveillance satellites are free from on-orbit threats and ready for continuous operations.
Kitay highlighted the strategy's emphasis on hemispheric stability, noting that space is a multiplier with global capabilities. Beyond drug interdiction and perhaps more importantly, space, as a warfighting domain, nests perfectly within the administration’s “peace through strength” mantra. Space allows the U.S. to protect against missile threats. Kitay stated:
The detection of missile threats starts with space systems. The Golden Dome program builds out sensors and layered defenses in land, air, sea, and space. We are building out the capabilities to protect our interests in space with Jackal and Mosaic; maintaining dominance in space is foundational to all the other missions.
On Industrial Partnerships
The NDS’ call to supercharge the U.S. defense industrial base finds a practical example in collaborations like those with True Anomaly, which prioritize agile innovation over traditional contractors. Jackal's modular design allows rapid payload integration, cutting development timelines from years to months, while Mosaic enables over-the-air updates for on-orbit fleets, minimizing costly relaunches.
This model promotes fiscal responsibility by leveraging private investment, with True Anomaly's 2025 funding accelerating vertical integration from design to deployment.
Kitay, drawing from his Pentagon tenure, emphasized the revolutionary change that the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) is experiencing as a result of the updated NDS:
This is a pivotal moment for the defense industrial base. The NDS isn’t just about spending more; it’s about moving faster. By harnessing commercial innovation and private capital, the Department is breaking from legacy acquisition models and accelerating capability to the warfighter.
He added: “At True Anomaly, we are built for this new model and are investing in space superiority capabilities, and are partnering with the Department of War to provide capabilities much faster and more cost-effective than traditional processes.”
Kitay further discussed a partnership with the U.S. Space Force that involves deploying a Jackal spacecraft into LEO for Space Force Guardians to demonstrate responsive space capabilities. This, Kitay describes, is an excellent example of emerging opportunities for “industry to leverage new players to get new capabilities out to warfighters.”
On Threats and Deterrence
Countering peer adversaries like China and Russia, whose satellite fleets and counterspace weapons pose escalating risks, requires resilient space systems as per the 2026 strategy. China's satellite count continues to grow, including anti-satellite capabilities, while Russia's orbital maneuvers, such as those recently reported at military.com, can test U.S. and allied space defenses. True Anomaly's Jackal, with its multi-spectral sensors for detection and tracking, enables deterrence through presence; Mosaic's AI processes data in real time, allowing operators to outpace threats.
Kitay offered insights on adapting to these dynamics, stressing deterrence without provocation:
Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific depends on our ability to operate freely in space. China and Russia are investing heavily in counterspace capabilities intended to hold U.S. systems at risk. Protecting and defending our space architecture is therefore not optional; it’s foundational to prevent conflict.
Broader Significance
Kitay's transition from DoD policymaker to industry executive illustrates the potential for effective strategy implementation with industry collaboration. In the context of any possible critiques of the 2026 National Defense Strategy, such as those questioning its feasibility amid budget constraints, space investments offer high returns by enabling asymmetric advantages. True Anomaly's focus on autonomy aligns with the ideals of an efficient and targeted defense infrastructure, which helps reduce the need for expansive bureaucracies.
Kitay adds:
The real opportunity in the 2026 strategy isn’t just setting priorities; it’s executing differently. Leveraging private investment, commercial innovation, and rapid iteration allows us to generate asymmetric advantage at scale. Enduring security will depend on strong partnerships across the defense industrial base. The future will belong to those who move faster, adapt smarter, and scale efficiently.
Space dominance is critical to the U.S. maintaining its edge over pacing threats and near-peer adversaries. True Anomaly is doing its part to supercharge the DIB and keep America’s military lethal.
