Via Satellite: How will the investment in space by other countries affect the United States?
Thompson: I don’t think we’re in any danger of being left behind by the space capability of other countries, but I do think we’re in danger of not providing our forces with sufficient communications so they can cope with the fact that most of the time they’ll be in hostile territory facing numerically greater enemies. We’re not trying to have a fair fight. We’re trying to be superior because we know that most of time we’re going to be fighting in their country not ours.
Via Satellite: What can the U.S. government and the military do to ensure either control of space or an equal part in the determination of space?
Thompson: There are many ways in which access to space can be denied. You can use an ASAT capability, or you can jam signals or destroy infrastructure on the ground such as launch infrastructure. I think for the time being America’s use of space is not in any way challenged and that concerns about the weaponization of space are premature given the very modest funding that’s going into such activities. I think that the scale and momentum of the U.S. military space effort is so imposing that few countries would be inclined to even try challenging us in space. The only option that really exists for the Russians or Chinese that could substantially degrade our satellites is if they used nuclear weapons in space. But that would degrade their satellites, too.
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