It seems that science fiction is gradually becoming a reality, and space in the coming years will turn into the arena of another military confrontation of the leading states of the world. Not so long ago, US President Trump took the initiative to create the Space Forces, and later the idea was supported by the US military. And just a few days ago, NASA director Jim Brydenstein said that the opponents "want to deprive the United States of access to space", so we cannot do without combat systems in orbit. The new American initiative was commented by columnist Roger Boyes in the authoritative British edition of The Times.
In general, the author supports the American initiative, believing that victory in a future war will largely depend on the satellite constellation, so that who controls space can win it.
Under Trump, the galaxy will be great again.
The statement of the American President regarding the creation of the Space Forces provoked heated discussions both in the United States and beyond. There was even a joke in America that Trump "will make the galaxy great again." In fact, everything is much more serious, and such an initiative is not just another rattle of the headstrong US commander, but the inevitable development of the current situation.
About a month ago, a meteorite fell near the American early warning station in Greenland, causing pretty nervous senior officials at the Pentagon. But it could be a rocket that would destroy the eyes and ears of US strategic forces.
But there is another much more serious danger - satellites. We weakly realize how dependent we are on them. Communication and the Internet, navigation, television, weather, financial transactions - and this list can be continued for a long time. Any modern army can not do without spacecraft, which provide intelligence, target designation, navigation and, of course, communication. And today the most numerous satellite constellation is owned by the US armed forces.
The incident with the meteorite in Tula only helps the current US administration to advertise the idea of the Space Forces. According to the plans of the Pentagon, the new branch of the military will have a number of 30 thousand people and will come to a state of readiness by 2020. True, to implement a similar project, Trump and his hawks have yet to receive Congress approval.
Why do Americans need space troops?
There is some slyness in talking about the future militarization of space, for it started many decades ago, immediately after the launch of the Soviet Sputnik. At first, a near-earth orbit was used for reconnaissance and communications, but today the significance of outer space for the military has increased many times. For example, the most advanced concept of the “network-centric war” is simply impossible without creating a powerful group of satellites over the battlefield.
Accordingly, before commencing a campaign, any military leader must think about how to destroy enemy spacecraft, depriving the enemy of communications, navigation and the ability to conduct reconnaissance and protect their own. It should be noted that the strength of the American army is largely due to the very advanced communications, navigation and targeting systems that are heavily tied into space: only the US Air Force uses 31 GPS satellites.
And there is already something to protect from. Back in 2007, the Chinese shot down their own satellite with a rocket, demonstrating that they had a weapon capable of destroying targets in orbit. In recent years, Russia has conducted several successful tests of anti-satellite missiles.
Future generals in military academies are taught to capture the dominant heights. Today, they definitely become space. It is unlikely that in the foreseeable future it will come to the realization of the Reagan concept of "star wars" - and only because it is technologically impossible so far. But we will most likely see anti-satellite systems in the next five years.
