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U.S. Air Force Scales Back Missile Warning Technology Program
Space News ^ | 02/05/2010 | Turner Brinton

Posted on 02/05/2010 1:59:04 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld

The trend over the last several years of annual funding increases for U.S. Air Force space activity appears to be at an end, and that, coupled with the ongoing recapitalization of the service’s operational satellite fleets, means there is little money left for new development initiatives.

The service’s 2011 budget request, submitted to Congress Feb. 1, scales back the Third Generation Infrared Surveillance (TGIRS) program and curbs funding for the Operationally Responsive Space Office. This follows U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision early last year to cancel the $26 billion Transformational Satellite communications system.

Overall, the request includes $8 billion for procurement and research and development for space programs, an 8 percent decrease from 2010, budget documents show. The total Air Force budget request for 2011 is $170.8 billion, up 3 percent from this year’s budget.

“The space budget is dominated by [research and development] and procurement,” Gary Payton, deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for space, said during a Feb. 4 media event here. “Everybody’s budget for procurement and [research and development] is going down a little bit, especially compared to 2008, 2009 and 2010, and space is part of that. It shows up more in the space budget because we have such a small part that is [operations and maintenance].”

TGIRS, originally called the Alternative Infrared Satellite System, was conceived as a potential alternative to the long-troubled Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) and featured sensor development efforts by Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems of El Segundo, Calif., and SAIC of McLean, Va. SBIRS is nearly a decade behind schedule, but the first dedicated satellite recently completed thermal vacuum testing and is on track for an early 2011 launch.

(Excerpt) Read more at spacenews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: militarysatellite; missiledetection; satellite; sbirs; space; usaf

1 posted on 02/05/2010 1:59:06 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
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To: sonofstrangelove

China is going to beat the US like we beat the USSR when our credit defaults and we run out of money.


2 posted on 02/05/2010 2:00:49 PM PST by DogBarkTree
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To: sonofstrangelove

Well, in a way I can see the liberals point. If you defund all the weapons systems and turn away from our space efforts, why fund a warning system to tell us how screwed we are in the first place?


3 posted on 02/05/2010 2:02:24 PM PST by IrishCatholic (No local Communist or Socialist Party Chapter? Join the Democrats, it's the same thing!)
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To: sonofstrangelove
"The trend over the last several years of annual funding increases for U.S. Air Force space activity appears to be at an end,"

Gee, I wonder why.

Krushchev, bury you


4 posted on 02/05/2010 2:02:57 PM PST by chuck_the_tv_out ( <<< click my name: now featuring Freeper classifieds)
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To: sonofstrangelove
But lets make sure those entitlement programs receive 110% funding.

I hate progressives.

5 posted on 02/05/2010 2:04:32 PM PST by skeeter
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To: skeeter

I agree with you there.


6 posted on 02/05/2010 2:05:15 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Werner Von Braun)
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To: sonofstrangelove
Question: What is Zer0 doing that a KGB plant wouldn't be doing?

Answer: Absolutely nothing, including hiding his true identity and history.

7 posted on 02/05/2010 2:10:13 PM PST by J Edgar
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To: sonofstrangelove
Just abinanutjob showed us he has long range missiles.

that fits perfectly = for a TIC (T=traitor)

8 posted on 02/05/2010 2:13:44 PM PST by maine-iac7 ("He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help" Lincoln)
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To: sonofstrangelove

There is nothing but waste and gross incompetence within that entire space program. It is full of corporate welfare with one consulting company after another taking in millions upon millions for nothing. The DSP program has been going on for 30+ years and did well with small staff and small operation facilities. To operate SBIRS, they built massive facilities and hired thousands of programmers/engineers. It is stunning the waste going on. That isn’t to mention that the primary mission security classification went from SECRET to TOP SECRET/SAP for no reason whatsoever other than to increase, maintain, and secure those ridiculous budgets. The entire program should be declassified. Everyone knows the sensors going into it and there is no reason to waste hundreds of millions of dollars trying to maintain that level of security. Space operations is no longer the secret it was in the 1950s and 1960s. We all know what is in space. They use security as a means to power, control, and budgeting.


9 posted on 02/05/2010 2:14:59 PM PST by CodeToad (If it weren't for physics and law enforcement I'd be unstoppable!)
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To: chuck_the_tv_out; Seadog Bytes

Excellent.


10 posted on 02/05/2010 2:20:33 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Happy New Year! Freedom is Priceless.)
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To: KevinDavis
U.S. Air Force space activity appears to be at an end
Thanks sonofstrangelove.
11 posted on 02/05/2010 2:20:54 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Happy New Year! Freedom is Priceless.)
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To: chuck_the_tv_out; SunkenCiv; potlatch

Nice one!


12 posted on 02/09/2010 10:09:02 PM PST by Seadog Bytes (OPM - The Liberal 'solution' to every societal problem. (Other People's Money))
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