The US Department of Defense is preparing the country’s military space forces for a future conflict in space with Russia and China, writes The Wall Street Journal.
According to the newspaper, in March the White House proposed to increase the annual budget of the US Space Force to a record $30 billion, almost $4 billion more than last year, as well as more budgets for the Air Force and Navy.
The newspaper notes that the US has long abandoned the idea of manned space warships in favor of satellites. However, Russia and China, which have fewer satellites in orbit, have begun to develop laser weapons that can disable space objects, as well as disrupt military and civilian communications.
“If containment doesn’t work, you can’t wait until something bad happens to prepare. It is necessary to already have all the necessary infrastructure, ”retired US Air Force Major General Marty Whelan told the publication.
The United States Space Force (USSF) was created in 2019 as the sixth branch of the armed forces. Their key purpose is to plan, equip and protect US interests in space. Rising spending on the USSF implies an increase in the number of military personnel to 16 thousand people, the purchase of special simulators for them to prepare for potential battles in space, as well as training in working with satellites, weapons systems, ground communication and sensor equipment.
Recall that at the end of last year, the United States named China the biggest threat to security, largely due to the development of ground-based missiles and lasers.
Source: Rosbalt

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