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- Subject: PENTAGON WANTS MORE FOR SPACE IN 2002
- From: "Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space" <globalnet -!
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- Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2001 14:19:33 -0400
Space, Information Warfare Gets $700 Million Boost in 2002 Defense Budget
By Jeremy Singer, Staff Writer
Space News
25 June 2001
WASHINGTON - The U.S. military plans to request an additional $700 million
for space and information warfare programs for the 2002 budget, according to
internal Pentagon budget documents obtained by Space News. The prime
recipients of the cash infusion would be radar surveillance satellites and
space control efforts.
The Pentagon also will add money to its effort to modernize the Global
Positioning Navigation System (GPS), allowing it to accelerate the
availability of a new military signal by one year, according to Program
Budget Decision 815, which is dated June 21.
The document is made up of "budget adjustments [that] implement Space and
Information Warfare initiatives arising out of the Strategy Review"
conducted at the direction of U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in his
effort to reshape the military.
The document, which was approved by Pentagon comptroller Dov Zakheim, is
marked "For Official Use Only."
The overall defense budget request for 2002 will be $345 billion.
According to that document the Pentagon will add $50 million to the U.S. Air
Force budget request to continue development of space-based radar satellites
that can provide continuous global surveillance.
Current work in this area is being done by the National Reconnaissance
Office. Congress moved the program to that agency after canceling the
planned $700 million two-satellite Discoverer 2 demonstration.
The Pentagon also will increase its spending on the development and purchase
of space control technology by $53 million. That money will help fund
upgrades to current space surveillance systems, as well as the development
of future space control systems.
The Pentagon will also add $13 million for testing facilities to support
testing, training and exercises related to space control efforts.
The additional $9 million added to the GPS modernization effort in 2002 will
enable the military to field a new signal for its navigation spacecraft a
year earlier than the planned 2007 date. The new signal will make the GPS
spacecraft less vulnerable to enemy attempts to interfere with its
transmissions.
The comptroller also added $13 million to incorporate GPS tracking at its
space launch ranges.
Most of the new dollars for information warfare will go to classified
programs.
Bruce K. Gagnon
Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 90083
Gainesville, FL. 32607
(352) 337-9274
http://www.space4peace.org
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