Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Pentagon escalates usage of commercial satellites for military purposes
The US Space Force is using formally "humanitarian" programs, such as the Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking (Tac-SRT), "to get better at delivering satellite images and analysis to military commanders quickly". Tac-SRT was previously touted for "supporting relief efforts during the floods in Brazil in May and tracking wildfires in South America". There are thousands of such "commercial" satellites that the Pentagon has access to or is planning to use. Their militarization will only make the world a more dangerous place.