Posted on 04/05/2018 7:20:49 AM PDT by Elderberry
Coats: “We have to become much more agile, more innovative, more creative.”
WASHINGTON — The intelligence community recently warned Congress that several countries — including China, Russia and Iran — are developing space-based surveillance, navigation and anti-satellite systems that puts them in a position to challenge the United States’ dominance in outer space.
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats on Wednesday echoed that point during a breakfast meeting with reporters.
The speed at which technology gets into the hands of U.S. adversaries has brought the realization that “we have to up our game if we’re going to stay competitive,” said Coats. “We have to become much more agile, more innovative, more creative.”
On the issue of whether foreign adversaries have the technology to take down U.S. satellites, Coats cited a report his office released in February, “Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.”
The report predicts that if a future conflict were to occur involving Russia or China, either country would justify attacks against U.S. and allied satellites as necessary to offset U.S. military advantages derived from space systems.
“There are a lot of efforts out there by more than one country relative to gaining space capabilities,” Coats told reporters. “That includes anti-satellite capabilities. We track that very, very carefully. We are fully aware of it.”
The U.S. intelligence community believes Russia and China are launching experimental satellites ostensibly for peaceful missions but in reality are being used to advance their counter-space capabilities.
Coats would not discuss specifics counter-space weapons that might be aimed at U.S. satellites. Broadly speaking, “space is becoming an ever more important domain,” he said. He compared satellites in space to “troops on the ground” performing vital duties.
Asked to comment on President’s Trump suggestion that the United States should create a new branch
(Excerpt) Read more at spacenews.com ...
What goes up is expensive beyond net benefit and it still comes down. Rest assured it will be used on enemies. Just not the enemies you think.
Duh... And we keep bringing foreigners in and giving them experience and access to sensitive technology.
Oba-Mao really screwed this country in this category...part of his agenda.
I have no doubt Russia and China hide or don’t report major parts of their defense budgets, but even then, the USA outspends them greatly.
But, if they are developing better weapons for 1/2, 1/4, or 1/8th the price, what does it say about our government and military bureaucracy?
We need to REPATRIATE a lot of companies.
We have sent far, far, far too much manufacturing to China, and to other places.
Enough.
The REAL reason Obama disbanded NASA.
We have existing technology that could have already mined every Chicom/Russian/Nork/Paki/Iranian satellite in orbit.
If we haven’t already done it we deserve whatever happens.
The Klingons and Romulons have new starships and weapons we need to counter act. There is a starship gap!
I remember when President Ronald Reagan promoted the STAR WARS program -— the majority of Democrats and many, many others trashed and belittled him for the idea. He was a visionary and he was right.
I have no doubt ‘space weapons’ have been in play for decades.
Yes, I agree. I ordered some stuff from China, took a while to get here, and had a good laugh. Bought it because it was inexpensive. But when it arrived, it was marked "Made in USA". Made here, sent to China, and sent back to the USA, still cheaper price than if I had bought it here. Weird. So some stuff is still made here, but goes to China at cheaper prices than we pay here.
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