WAR: U.S. Military Takes First Step Towards Weapons in Space

Is this an April Fools Joke? I think not. We about to enter the next great arms race. The
Militarisation of space has begun! Just who will profit from all this top secret business? Where will the money come from and will it work?
ABC News

Mar. 30 ? For all of human history, people have looked at the stars with a sense of wonder. More recently, some U.S. military planners have looked skyward and seen something very different ? the next battlefield.

While the military's presence in space stretches back decades, now there appears to be a new emphasis. Officials in the Bush administration and the Department of Defense are actively pursuing an agenda calling for the unprecedented weaponization of space.

The first real step in that direction appears to be coming in the form of a little-noticed weapons program at the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. The agency has now earmarked $68 million in 2005 for something called the Near Field Infrared Experiment.

More sources
Space.com: U.S. Military Seeks to Secure Ultimate High Ground
$4.8 billion asked for AF budget



[Edited on 2-4-2004 by Zion Mainframe]

Got to be an April FO_ols cause its definitely been covered within ATS a few times....DARPA's Project Falcon, etc.


seekerof

I'm sorry but why is this alarming to anyone?

The militarization of space has been going on since the 1970's and before.

The only difference is that the US is now actively and openly pursuing space based weapons platforms and delivery systems where as before they were doing it secretly.

From spaceplane bombers to DEW's, hardened intel sats, and "Rods from God" kinetic weapons; they've all been in R&D (at the very least) for decades.

China, India, Japan, even South Korea are pursuing space programs that have military intent, so this should not be a surprise to anyone and in fact the US policy makers would be derelict in their duties if they did not pursue fielding these technologies in the face of so many possible future conflict senarios.

The race has not begun because of the US's efforts but because of the increased technological abilities of others and the survival requirements of the US.