26 September 2023

The military's role in protecting commercial satellites from an attack

Saltzman didn't directly address the scenario posed in the question, but he clearly suggested the US military has a responsibility to defend commercial assets in space.

In a modern war, "there are going to be commercial entities, commercial organizations, commercial capabilities and assets that get caught up in the conflicts," Saltzman said. "Space is no different than sea lanes. It’s no different than civilian airliner traffic in Europe right now. The US has a long history of saying we’re going to protect the things that we need to be successful. So it would stand to reason that that same philosophy would extend into space, and I have no reason to believe that that will be different.” 

arstechnica.com

Space Force chief says commercial satellites may need defending

by Stephen Clark - Sep 26, 2023 12:25 am UTC
5 - 6 minutes

Space Force chief says commercial satellites may need defending

"It would stand to reason that same philosophy would extend into space."

Gen. Chance Saltzman, the top general on the US Space Force, testifies before a Senate subcommittee in March.

Like the US Navy has long protected sea lanes during conflict, the military could be called upon to defend commercial satellites from attack, particularly as the Pentagon relies more on commercial networks for communication and surveillance, the Space Force's top general said last week.

In comments at a conference in Hawaii on September 20, Gen. Chance Saltzman echoed many statements made by military leaders over the last few years: US military space capabilities are under threat from China and Russia, military leaders need more information about what other countries are doing in space, and commercial satellites are playing an ever-larger role in the military's space programs.

But Saltzman went a little further in his comments when asked about the military's role in protecting commercial satellites from an attack. . .

No comments:

Families in the poorest communities are the least likely to obtain Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) funds...Data emerging from Arizona provide plenty of reasons for concern

In Arizona, more advantaged communities are securing a highly disproportionate share of the funds from the state’s Empowerment Scholarship A...