[TheDrive] As space continues to play an increasingly important role for the United States armed forces, the Department of Defense has been also increasingly engaging with the private aerospace and communications sector to develop and implement solutions that better help it confront emerging warfighting challenges. Just last week, Air Force acquisition chief William Roper told reporters at the Pentagon that the Air Force and SpaceX will conduct an event on April 8, together with other branches of the U.S. military, that will see SpaceX Starlink satellites link up with multiple armed forces systems in a "massive" live fire exercise.
"SpaceX has been a great industry partner for us," Roper said. "They are very excited and we are excited to learn more about their satellites through the demonstration."
The demonstration will reportedly involve shooting down a drone and a cruise missile and will take place at several different sites including Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The massive tests will also include ground forces, submarines, ships, and a variety of space-based assets. |