Ignatius: U.S. Military Depends on Space Systems Which Have Been Left Unprotected

EXCERPT:

IGNATIUS: "So the point is to break the resistance to giving space the importance that it needs. It is unfortunately a fact that our space systems on which the United States depends absolutely to project power, we can’t do anything anywhere around the world without the space systems that are communication, command and control. Those have been left essentially unprotected because the Air Force did not see the threat from Russia and China coming. My sources tell me that the Russians and Chinese now have weapons in space that could disable our key space assets if they wanted to do it, if they wanted to start a conflict and prevent communications. So the question is how do you organize to deal with this better than the Air Force has been doing? I understand the arguments that you don’t want to have a terrible bureaucratic turf war, you don’t want to create new bureaucratic positions and obstacles, but something, Andrea, has to be done better than it’s been done. I’ve been at Peterson Air Base and seen the existing officers and programs. They’re good, it’s just in an Air Force that’s still dominated by the cult of the fighter jet, it’s hard to break through if you’re in another part of the Air Force’s culture."