Pentagon Warns Of Actual Space War
United States military leaders gathered for a change-of-command ceremony for the US Space Force at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs earlier this month, and talks of a space war ran rampant throughout the speeches given. While the main purpose of the gathering was to appoint a new head of the Space Force, there were several speakers whose themes centered around the probability of a conflict beyond the atmosphere or even a space war.
Pentagon Official Explains Vulnerability In Space
Kathleen Hicks, United States Deputy Secretary of Defense, had much to say on the topic. Mainly targeted towards Russia and the PRC (People’s Republic of China), it was mentioned that our country’s reliance on satellites, GPS, and other space-based systems makes us vulnerable to space war.
“They’re both deploying capabilities that can target GPS and other vital space-based systems, and we’ve seen both countries conduct operations against us and our allies and partners to degrade our space advantages,” stated Hicks.
Space Is The Next Battlefield
Hicks went on to talk about how the “aggressive actions” of these countries show that Moscow and Beijing intend to turn space into a “warfighting domain,” leading to a space war. To protect the “peace,” Hicks and the Space Force, in general, will go to great lengths.
“The United States of America is committed to preventing conflict through deterrence by making clear to our competitors that the cost of aggression would far outweigh any conceivable benefits” is Kathleen Hicks’ stance on the order of the U.S. Space Force.
The New Space Race
For the whole mission to be centered around maintaining the peace, the speech came off as quite aggressive. The United States has not always been the best at “maintaining peace,” and talk of a space war comes as there is a new Space Race on the rise, the rush to see who can colonize the moon or Mars first.
A New Space Force Leader
The ceremony’s main purpose was to mark the changing of the guard, one might say. General James Dickinson handed over the reins of the U.S. Space Force to General Stephen Whiting. Whiting is now charged with overseeing all U.S. military operations in outer space.
The Space Force was created under President Trump in 2019 and has since pushed space-domain awareness and combat readiness among its members, who are presently known as “Guardians.”
Reality Sounds Like Science Fiction
The whole thing sounds like a sci-fi flick, and the insignia of the Space Force doesn’t help that argument. However, the possibility of a space war is real. High-up military officers are really giving speeches about how we can defend our country in space.
However surprising it feels to hear/read about talks of a space war, it seems technology and scientific progression have led us here. When you really think about it, space does have a lot to offer the country in terms of finance and power.
The Next Major War Could Be Over Asteroids
Asteroids are rich in natural resources, and there aren’t very many well-defined laws governing the ins and outs of space. A space war could be a possible threat to the country’s future, but it seems a space war is more of a world problem than a country problem, right?
Source: Defense Now
