Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), who chaired the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 2011 to 2015, said June 30 that the United States needs to better protect its national security satellites against hostile missiles.
When China launched a ground-based missile to destroy one of its own satellites in a 2007 test, it underscored the increasing vulnerability of American satellites. But the United States has not done enough since then to improve its satellite defenses, Rogers said at a Stimson Center forum in Washington, D.C.
“Nobody is talking about a coordinated military satellite intelligence strategy for the United States, based on the fact that we no longer are dominant in space,” Rogers lamented. “That’s really depressing.”
One approach suggested by Rogers would be to improve the military’s ability to quickly field replacement satellites to reduce an adversary’s interest in shooting down such spacecraft. Another option recommended by the former lawmaker would be to develop and deploy space-based interceptors, as called for in a Hudson Institute report, “Space and the Right to Self Defense,” that was released earlier this month.
“Right now, we’re just fighting about how much does that satellite cost [or] when do we want to replace a satellite that has been around for 20 years that was designed for 17 years…that’s getting long in the tooth,” Rogers said. “We haven’t gotten there yet.”
While critics assert that space-based interceptors would be too expensive and technically challenging, the Hudson report insists that “available technology makes it entirely feasible and affordable in the near term.” Rogers acknowledged that “it’s going to cost us money,” but he added that “we’re going to have to get serious about what kind of money we spend to protect our [space] architecture.”