…recent comments made by the commander of Russia’s Space Forces…

If Russia has one, then we need to have one too. Don’t show me yours and I won’t show you mine.

Regardless of treaties and best intentions, the superpowers are weaponizing space. Communications, reconnaissance and navigation assets are increasingly located in orbit, so protecting and neutralizing those platforms is top priority. Our national defense as well as our economic health is now completely dependent on satellite systems. That makes us vulnerable.

My guess is the Russians are testing orbital inspection and interception capability. Even if they never use it, even the threat that they might deploy one severely complicates our national defense planning. I can’t think of any way to stop them, and we can’t afford to ignore them, I can only see us duplicating their technology in self-defense. This means a new arms race.

This isn’t our fault, its not even Trump’s fault, although we may not be totally blameless in this either. After all, most of our “peaceful” space systems have immediate strategic and even tactical military applications (think GPS and Comsats), or are platforms to help develop those technologies. The only way we can prevent the world engaging in a horrifically expensive and potentially deadly arms race (wars can start accidentally, even if no one has any intention of shooting first) is to negotiate or expand our arms control agreements so these systems are regulated.

Reagan brought down the Soviet Union by threatening to withdraw from our ABM treaties and building a Star Wars missile shield, knowing the Russian economy would buckle and possibly fail if it tried to match us in that arena. Maybe Putin now feels he can do the same thing to us. Either he feels our economic base is vulnerable, or we lack the leadership and resolve to engage him effectively.

And he, of all people, should know.