U.S. Space Force sends wish list to Congress that includes space surveillance and communications satellites
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Space Force is asking Congress for $832 million over its $17.4 billion budget request for its unfunded priority list -- an annual wish list of spending every service sends lawmakers. C4ISRnet reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
15 June 2021 -- The request sent June 3 to Congress includes additional funding for dozens of programs, repairs to Space Force facilities, and $279 million in classified spending to “develop a war fighting punch.”
The Space Force wish list sets aside $113 million to grow new missions. That includes $28 million toward radio frequency payloads for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Blackjack program, which seeks to demonstrate the utility of a proliferated constellation of networked satellites in low Earth orbit for the military.
With this request, Space Force would test new space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities on orbit in fiscal 2022 and 2023 to inform future investment. Space Force leaders have stated in recent months that it needs to develop a tactical ISR mission, which could involve building out its own constellation of imagery satellites.
Related: What 5G means to the military
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics