The US intends to support the British effort.
By Theresa HitchensThe push to declassify an existing space weapon is being spearheaded by Gen. John Hyten, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
By Theresa Hitchens“I want to be able to identify what [the threat] is, I want to be able to attribute it to whomever is the adversary that’s taken that shot, as an example, and then, I’ve got to be able to share that information,” says Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback, who heads the ISR Directorate.
By Theresa Hitchens“From the evidence we have available, it sure looks like Russia is a bigger counterspace threat than China, which is contrary to a lot of the public discussion that focuses almost entirely on China,” said SWF’s Brian Weeden.
By Theresa Hitchens“This issue of classification and the challenge it presents to public discussion is … part of the reason why we wrote this report. There’s nothing in the public domain like this,” says CSIS’s Kaitlyn Johnson.
By Theresa Hitchens“I will be very curious to see how the Space Force shakes out in the next year or so. It’s not going away but how it manifests itself could be different,” said Victoria Samson, Washington Office director for Secure World Foundation.
By Theresa HitchensRaymond said that DoD, the Space Force and the Air Force are still in the planning stages for the acquisition field command, and “are evaluating just what’s the right way to do this to enable the strengths of SDA, and others like Space Rapid Capabilities Office, and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.”
By Theresa Hitchens“Ham-fisted US policy has proven counterproductive in the past, and will likely continue to do so in the future,” said Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor at the Naval War College.
By Theresa HitchensThe RAND report points out that China is second only to the US in the number of military and commercial imagery satellites it operates.
By Theresa HitchensThe Russian Nudol mobile ASAT missile has been tested “as many as nine times in the past,” SWF’s Brian Weeden told me in an email.
By Theresa Hitchens“Russia has become one of the world’s greatest perpetrators of electronic counterspace warfare, jamming and spoofing PNT and communications satellite signals in conflict zones, nearby territories, and within its own borders,” CSIS says.
By Theresa HitchensIf the US receives intelligence that Russia is prepping a strike against a US satellite, does SPACECOM task a drone or a B-21 bomber to take it out before it launches? Or does Gen. Raymond choose to simply maneuver the targeted satellite out of the way?
By Theresa Hitchens
The Trump administration should declare a U.S. moratorium on destructive ASAT testing and work with like-minded countries to begin laying the groundwork for an eventual legal prohibition. These would be an immense step forward on limiting future ASAT testing and enhancing space security for both the United States and the world.
By Victoria Samson and Brian Weeden