Tag: Pentagon

Pentagon Planning Commercial ‘Space Reserve” to Support Military Satellites

SPACE reports, “The U.S. Department of Defense is developing a plan to use the ever-growing American commercial space industry for national security purposes. The plan, known as the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve would allow the U.S. Space Force to use the capabilities of the commercial space sector through “pre-negotiated contractual agreements which would be activated in times of crisis or conflict,” according to the service’s “Commercial Space Strategy” document, which was released in April 2024.”
Full Story (SPACE)

Pentagon Set to Move Forward with Replicator Drone Program to Counter China

Bloomberg reports the Pentagon “is likely to decide by mid-December what drones will make up the initial phase of its new Replicator program intended to deploy thousands of pilotless aircraft in 2025 to counter China’s numeric superiority in weapons systems such as ships, according to the Defense Department’s No. 2 official.” Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks “said Tuesday that the choices may not be announced publicly ‘because part of the program’s intent is to create operational dilemmas for China’ as to how best to counter the new capability.”
Full Story (Bloomberg)

Pentagon Gears Up for Potential Space Threats

The Wall Street Journal reports that as China and Russia grow closer and put more of their military resources into space, the Pentagon is putting US resources into satellites instead of orbiting crewed space weapons due to the logistics of supporting people outside of Earth’s atmosphere not being feasible.
Full Story (The Wall Street Journal – subscription publication)

Pentagon May Look to SpaceX to Launch Military Satellites

The Washington Post reports, “SpaceX could significantly expand its share of military business as the Pentagon, faced with Trump administration budget constraints, considers overhauling a program to deploy hundreds of missile-tracking satellites. In a Capitol Hill hearing last month, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) said he’s worried the Pentagon will restructure the Space Force satellite program, which was designed to have multiple contractors, and rely on SpaceX for a significant portion of the work.”
Full Story (Washington Post)