"The next major conflict may be won or lost in space," Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Tuesday. "We must confront reality. Weapons are currently deployed by our competitors that can attack our assets in space."
Shanahan said that the U.S. Military "is not moving fast enough to stay ahead" of its rivals China and Russia in the space race. He warned that both countries have already acquired weapon technologies with the intent to strike American spy satellites in the event of conflict.
"The PLA [Chinese People’s Liberation Army] is also deploying directed-energy weapons, and we expect them to field a ground-based laser system aimed at low-earth orbit space sensors by next year," Shanahan told the audience. "They are also prepared to use cyber attacks against our space systems and have deployed an operational ground-based ASAT [anti-satellite] missile system."
He said that current U.S missile defense shields are "not capable of tracking" Chinese and Russian hypersonic missiles.
"Because of their actions, space is no longer a sanctuary — it is now a war-fighting domain. This is not a future or theoretical threat; this is today’s threat," Shanahan said.
The acting defense secretary endorsed President Trump's Space Force, will allow the military to combat hypersonic attacks more effectively.
"By creating the new service inside the Air Force, the additional cost is less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the DoD budget. Or put another way, the Space Force will cost about $1.50 per American per year," Shanahan said, claiming that cost of the new service is relatively small compared to America’s $19 trillion economy.
The Pentagon currently spends more on defense than any other country.
"We are starting now because we refuse to fall behind. We can outpace our competitors and make it impossible for them to contest our dominance in space," Shanahan concluded.
* * *
"Pity the nation whose people are sheep
And whose shepherds mislead them
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars
Whose sages are silenced
And whose bigots haunt the airwaves
Pity the nation that raises not its voice
Except to praise conquerors
And acclaim the bully as hero
And aims to rule the world
By force and by torture…
Pity the nation oh pity the people
who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away…"
—Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet
War spending is bankrupting America.
Poster Comment:
VP Pence should be commanding a StarShip instead of playing Venezuelan constitutional scholar & freedom fighter rebel.
He ain't Che Guevara by any stretch of the imagination.
Beltway Venezuelan Rebels, typical
#1: A K A Stone To: hondo68 (#0)
It is a good thing that he isn't like your leftist hero.
A K A Stone posted on 2019-04-13 22:00:51 Reply Private Reply
#2: Tooconservative To: hondo68 (#0)
But SpaceX's Starship, an all-stainless steel rocket, isn't ready for launch yet.
But the prototype will be flying (and landing) very soon. As in, a matter of months.
The working version of this rocket will be taller and have a thicker stainless skin. This prototype is to iron out wrinkles in the design and software.
Tooconservative posted on 2019-04-14 03:25:10 Reply Private Reply
#3: Hondo68 To: Tooconservative (#2)
Dear Leader Kim Jong Un, Rocket Man already shot down an Israeli space ship which crashed on the moon.
Now we have to give them billion$ more in welfare.
Hondo68 posted on 2019-04-14 11:41:51 Reply Private Reply
#4: Liberator To: Tooconservative, hondo68, Willie Green (#2)
Good thing Musk is able to save NASA.
...Because apparently all their trillions in taxpayer boondoggles to support the "Space!!" Hoax since the 1950s and now $52 million PER DAY isn't quite enough??
The 1962 Fireball XL5 version of the photographed Space Ship appears quite similar to Musk's. Except that...the interior of the XL5 look more realistic. I wonder why NASA has failed to develop those flying scooters in all this time??) Perhaps NASA should utilize some spare train rail and a ramp to help save fuel for their next trip to the Moon.
Live Long and Prosper, TC.
Liberator posted on 2019-04-14 13:42:13 Reply Private Reply
#5: Liberator To: hondo68, Deckard, Pinguinite (#0)
Oh, here we go again. Oh dear. HURRY HURRY HURRY!! We've fallen behind and can't get up!...
ACT! Before Russia's and China's fleet of 'Enterprise Class' Chinese/Russian Federation ships blast us into submission with Photons Torpedos and Phasers!
If it's not multi-trillion dollar wars (WW1, II, Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia, Iraq 1 & II) designed by the elites Rothschilds and Rockefellers to take over nations and make the Military-Industrial Complex and their investors rich, it's...SPACE WARS!!
And The IDIOTS WILL EAT THIS UP WITH A FORK & SPOON. Like they always have.
(And if you happen to call out the PTB on this charade as was done during the pair of war in Iraq, the MSM will target you as: "UN-PATRIOTIC!!")
Liberator posted on 2019-04-14 13:54:24 Reply Private Reply
#6: Liberator To: hondo68, Deckard, Pinguinite, Hank Rearden, A K A Stone (#5)
The very same PTB who are destroying Western Civ, Logic and Truth? Here are just some of the other declared "wars" we are told have "endangered" us and plagued every single Western Nation.
The Elites and PTB must constantly create new "Crises" in order to steal the wealth of the Middle Class (because having it ALL isn't enough; They also need power and dominion over ALL your freedoms and liberty.)
1) The Global Warming/Climate Change ("They" have already tried to tax you and I with a "Carbon Tax")
2) Ozone Hole
3) Polar Caps MELTING!
4) Various "Dangerous Outbreaks" of rare and unknown diseases and viruses
5) "Refugee Crisis"!! (Used as a fake "news" mechanism and charges of "Racism" which allowed invading armies by Proxy (Mooslems & Mexicans/South Americans) to ruin the West and its Middle Class
6) War on Women (by White Men)
7) War on Gays (by Heterosexuals)
8) War to Save The World from "dangerous, harmful" CTs!!
9) War on the Poor (by Republicans and White Men)
10) War on Living Wages (by Republicans and White Men)
BONUS:
And now...THE IMMINENT SPACE WARS...
Cuz if you can't believe the GOVT and Media and Science and Academia, who CAN you trust??
Liberator posted on 2019-04-14 14:13:03 Reply Private Reply
#7: Hondo68 To: Liberator (#6)
Starship Troopers
The book is far better than the movie. Really a critique on authoritarian government.
Hondo68 posted on 2019-04-14 15:54:47 Reply Private Reply
#8: Tooconservative To: Liberator (#4)
Not really.
Musk's BFR (Big Falcon Rocket or nicknamed Big F**king Rocket) is now known as Starship.
It is actually going to look like a big-ass German V2 rocket from WW II. Except it will have shiny stainless steel. Should be very pretty, especially at landings.
I did always like those Gerry Anderson Marionation movies and TV shows. And South Park's tribute to them in Team America: World Police. You can still catch some of those almost every day on the Android/iOS app, Pluto.tv. I've even seen a few episodes of SuperCar on there.
Tooconservative posted on 2019-04-14 16:33:56 Reply Private Reply
#9: Liberator To: hondo68 (#7)
Yup. And our future. That technique where Hollywood and the Deep State combine make a movie is called "Predictive Programming."
Liberator posted on 2019-04-14 17:41:08 Reply Private Reply
#10: Liberator To: Tooconservative (#8)
Liberator posted on 2019-04-14 17:43:02 Reply Private Reply
#11: Tooconservative To: Liberator (#10)
...then it would look like some kind of sex toy. With Bluetooth connectivity and apps for Android and iOS.
Tooconservative posted on 2019-04-14 17:48:29 Reply Private Reply