Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) wants the US to recognize the “urgency” of the China space threat, given its recent successful shootdown of one of its own satellites. Speaking at a Heritage Foundation forum in Washington this week, Kyl said that the Iraq situation has diverted attention from a significant threat. Last week, a top Chinese military official said weapons in space is inevitable. Kyl is urging Congress and the Administration to provide additional funding to the Air Force next year to ensure the nation gets “serious about space security.”
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.