SWORD training platform key to US space superiority, program head says

The U.S. Space Force is positioning its Space Warfighter Operational Readiness Domain, or SWORD, as a cornerstone for maintaining space superiority in an increasingly contested domain.

Col. Corey Klopstein, program executive officer for Operational Test and Training Infrastructure and commander of System Delta 81, described the program’s focus on realism and readiness during a media roundtable at Space Industry Days in Los Angeles, California, on Friday.

SWORD, the Space Force’s primary synthetic training environment, is a cloud-enabled, digital simulation platform designed to replicate contested space operations, including orbital dynamics, electronic warfare, cyber effects and adversary tactics. It allows guardians to train in realistic scenarios without relying solely on live, on-orbit assets or centralized facilities.

The platform has been demonstrated in large-scale exercises like Space Flag, supporting hundreds of guardians in realistic training, and is being scaled for broader enterprise use.

Klopstein stressed that SWORD is being developed to deliver the highest possible realism and adaptability.

“Our intent is to develop SWORD and make it as realistic as possible and increase the fidelity as we work closely with our users to understand what they need … and increase that work with our contractors to increase the fidelity of SWORD,” he told reporters.

That realism is achieved through rigorous validation. Digital models in the SWORD training environment are continuously being updated and refined by cross-checking against hardware-in-the-loop facilities (integrating real components into simulated environments) and live on-orbit assets.

“It’s a constant back and forth in trying to increase the fidelity of your digital environment and make it as realistic as possible,” Klopstein said, stressing that the Space Force cannot rely on synthetic data alone.

Speed is equally critical. With adversary tactics evolving rapidly, Operational Test and Training Infrastructure is prioritizing rapid integration of new threats into SWORD.

Klopstein highlighted close coordination with intelligence elements and the National Space Intelligence Center to ensure timely updates to red threat emulations.

“We’re working closely with our S2 and the Field COM S2s, as well as NSIC, to get the latest information that we can and leverage that information to provide updates to any red threat emulations within SWORD … to ensure the greatest accuracy possible,” he said.

These efforts support a long-term vision of enterprise-wide access, transitioning SWORD to a cloud-based infrastructure so guardians can conduct realistic, distributed training from home stations rather than centralized facilities.

While current implementations are site-specific, Klopstein described the goal as creating “backyard ranges” so guardians can “train from their home station, using the synthetic environment as the source of the truth.”

The SWORD program is supported by 10-12-month agile acquisition cycles to close near-term training gaps, alongside a planned fiscal 2027 cloud pathfinder, as reported by Air & Space Forces Magazine and Breaking Defense.