The U.S. Space Force saw a sixfold increase in demand for foreign military sales last year; This growth the service attributes to the increasingly important role space systems play in economic and national security around the world.

Space Systems Command’s FMS division has seen a 500% increase in requests between 2023 and 2024. Last week, the service closed its largest FMS deal to date — $126 million agreement with Canadian Armed Forces This will give the nation access to the U.S. Space Force’s Mobile User Target System, a fleet of satellites capable of providing ultra-high-frequency satellite communications to troops operating in adverse weather conditions and difficult terrain.

According to Deanna Ryals, the service’s director of international relations, increased interest includes a number of satellites and sensors. And this comes as the United States takes a more forward-looking stance on exporting space capabilities to other countries.

“As nations begin to prioritize space as a national need or a national capability that they want to invest in, many countries do not yet have their own industrial base for space,” Ryals said in a briefing to reporters at SSC’s Space Industry Days conference. Los Angeles. “People are starting to see the advantage of military space and commercial space, and that creates the need to find a way to purchase it.”

The United States has traditionally maintained tight control over sovereign space systems, sharing technology and hardware with only a select few partners due to security concerns. However, space-enabled technologies such as GPS and satellite communication As it plays an increasingly prominent role in daily life, it’s harder to make a case against it, Ryals said. allowing friendly nations access to American-made systems.

With this request in mind, the service is working closely with the Air Force’s international affairs office to improve the FMS process. Earlier this year, the Air Force unveiled its Space Technology and Resources baseline, which provides a list of capabilities approved for export in each mission area. The list includes everything from satellites to ground radars, from sensors to component technologies such as cameras or mirrors.

Ryals said having this document, created with his office’s input and updated with input from industry partners, helps streamline the sales process.

“If we have some capabilities that we know we’re ready to offer for sale or export, it makes our job much easier to make the assessment in advance that these are assets we’re going to sell.” he said.