TAMPA, Fla. — A top Pentagon intelligence official said April 15 he is more confident today than he was a year ago about the intelligence community’s understanding of U.S. national security space systems and the threats they face.
For the past several months, top Defense Department leaders have told Congress that U.S. military and intelligence satellites face a growing threat from nations actively developing counterspace capabilities.
But U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said during a press conference at the Geoint conference in Tampa, Fla., that he is pleased with the Defense Department’s current position.
“I think we’re in really good shape with space,” he said. “There are threats, there are challenges, and there are opportunities up there. We’ve done a really good job of collaborating with the right kinds of people with capabilities in the intelligence community to focus on in space. I’m more confident today than I was a year ago with where we are going with our knowledge of space activities.”
The Defense Intelligence Agency helps keep civilian and defense decision-makers up to date on the intentions and capabilities of foreign governments.
Flynn said he has grown more comfortable with space because experts have a better understanding of what is happening there and because of investments the U.S intelligence community has made in space, although he did not offer specifics.
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