text: Army Space Capabilities
  3-46. To ensure DOD receives ready assured access to commercial services when and where needed, leases
  for those services must be procured in the early stages of a contested EME or before the spectrum becomes
  too congested. Access and availability to commercial services are based on the terms of the lease or contract.
  Experience shows that commercial satellite services may sometimes become unreliable during periods of
  political tension or open hostilities. Commercial SATCOM is an important component of DOD
  communications and requirements are thoroughly reviewed before employing these communications.
  SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT SYSTEMS
  3-47. The Joint Staff administers the military SATCOM requirements process, which formally documents
  users’ needs for SATCOM as a precondition for satellite access. The DOD SATCOM operational manager
  has responsibility for validating combatant command and agency requirements for SATCOM resources. The
  access process is supported by satellite operations.
  3-48. Military SATCOM requires a lot of interaction and planning to ensure users’ needs are validated,
  required resources are available, and proper support is offered when problems are experienced. Elements of
  the SATCOM support system include SATCOM System Experts, Consolidated SATCOM System Experts,
  RSSCs, and the Global Network Operations and Security Center.
  SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM EXPERTS
  3-49. SATCOM System Experts and Consolidated SATCOM System Experts have detailed knowledge of
  assigned system(s) and spectrum. They provide technical, operational, and engineering support as required.
  Specific military SATCOM System Expert duties include:
  * Provide continuous, 24 hour per day operational support;
  * Provide RSSC manning;
  * Ensure integrated spectrum operations;
  * Advocate user requirements;
  * Develop policy and procedures;
  * Operationally advise program managers; and
  * Assist transition planning.
  3-50. A Consolidated SATCOM System Expert is assigned for each SATCOM spectrum (band) and a
  SATCOM System Experts is assigned for each system used in the delivery of military SATCOM. The
  mission of the Consolidated SATCOM System Expert and SATCOM System Expert is to provide the military
  with SATCOM management, planning, control, and protection resources. Consolidated SATCOM System
  Experts coordinate and integrate cross-system inputs with support from SATCOM System Experts.
  Consolidated SATCOM System Experts provide continuous support to deconflict, assess, analyze, and
  integrate SATCOM information, status, configurations, synchronization, sustainment issues, deployment
  issues, and anomalies.
  3-51. The military narrowband Consolidated SATCOM System Expert and the specific SATCOM System
  Expert responsibilities include the manning the RSSCs for narrowband planning, managing the increased
  resources for payload operations management and transmission control, and certifying all terminals used
  across the narrowband satellite payload.
  3-52. The military wideband Consolidated SATCOM System Expert and the specific SATCOM System
  Expert responsibilities include the operational payload management and development and sustainment for
  specific SATCOM control architecture.
  REGIONAL SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT CENTER
  3-53. The Army operates four RSSCs responsible to plan and manage regional SATCOM support to the
  operating forces. They provide theater communication planners with a single point of contact for narrowband,
  wideband, protected band, and commercial SATCOM support. RSSCs provide joint forces with global
  SATCOM system status, maintain situational awareness for current and planned SATCOM operations, and