The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

This laser beam was detected by many monitoring stations around the world.

NASA, also known as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is one of the administrative scientific research institutions of the United States. It is responsible for formulating and implementing the US space program and conducting aerospace science and space science research.

Ever since the Columbia space shuttle crash, a shadow has been cast over the US space industry.

There is a lot of controversy about whether to continue developing the aerospace field.

According to some people, the aerospace sector consumes too much money. For example, this year the space agency's annual budget reached 153 billion US dollars, but the output is very small. In particular, the space shuttles manufactured are very expensive, but have not played their due role.

So some people have called for reducing NASA's budget or even disbanding NASA.

Many people believe that with the current space technology of the United States, even if it does not develop for 50 years, no country will be able to catch up.

From now on, satellite launches can be handed over to private aerospace companies!
But this time, the observation of a laser beam destroying a satellite made NASA head O'Keefe very excited.

Laser weapons!
The United States is no stranger to laser weapons; on the contrary, it is very familiar with them.

The United States was the first country in the world to conduct research on laser weapons, and once led the world in laser weapon research with the Soviet Union. The United States was also one of the first countries in the world to put laser weapons into use.

In 1990, the U.S. government invested $90 billion in research on laser weapons.

Laser weapons have always been popular due to their high cost-effectiveness and excellent performance, and many countries have invested heavily in research.

In terms of air defense weapons, the main weapons at present are missiles. Compared with them, laser weapons are much cheaper. For example, a Patriot missile costs 60 to 70 US dollars, a short-range Stinger missile costs tens of thousands of dollars, and a laser launch only costs thousands of dollars. And according to forecasts, with the development of technology, the cost of a laser launch can be reduced to hundreds of dollars.

The United States has always wanted to develop a laser air defense weapon that can be used in actual combat to target aircraft, missiles, and satellites!
However, strategic laser weapons have always been expensive to research and technically difficult to develop, making it difficult to actually put them into the battlefield. Ultimately, they are still in the experimental stage.

But now, this laser beam on the other side of the Pacific Ocean has proved that the strategic laser weapon approach is feasible.

And with this case, the existence of NASA is beyond doubt, and it can even apply for more scientific research funds, because in the field of laser weapons, there are space-based laser weapons!
Not only NASA, but also companies that are researching laser weapons, such as Wooldridge Corporation and Raytheon, are all extremely excited. What they see is not a beam of laser, nor does it see the laser destroying a satellite, but they see countless dollars coming towards them.

The research costs of laser weapons have always been high and the technology is difficult. These companies used to receive a large amount of scientific research funding from the United States every year. Now the emergence and application of laser weapons will inevitably make the United States invest more funds in laser weapons research.

Of course, if you want the gentlemen in Congress to give money happily, you have to make them feel threatened, a huge threat.

Therefore, driven by these stakeholders, major US media outlets reported on the anti-satellite application of laser weapons, and made a big fuss about it, as if all US missiles, satellites, and aircraft could be destroyed at once, thus losing their effectiveness.

Experts are calling for the United States to invest more funds in researching laser weapons and speed up the development of laser weapons to ensure the national defense security of the United States.

Not only the United States, but also various monitoring stations in Russia paid attention to that beam of light and observed that it destroyed a satellite.

In the field of laser weapons, the Soviet Union has been ahead of the world since the Soviet era. As early as 1975, the Soviet Union applied laser weapons. Russia inherited the Soviet Union's laser weapons and related technologies, and is also a world leader in this regard.

But this time, that laser beam still attracted Russia's high attention.

If this laser beam can destroy a satellite, then it can destroy any satellite in space.

This means that when war breaks out, they have the ability to destroy every satellite of the hostile force in space, thereby gaining an absolute advantage in satellite communications, satellite reconnaissance and other aspects.

Moreover, this laser beam can destroy satellites in space, so it can also destroy missiles and aircraft. Even if space-based laser weapons are deployed in space, missiles launched from all over the world can be intercepted during the launch phase.

The Soviet Union had deployed space-based weapons, but now that so much time has passed, they are close to being retired.

Experts on laser weapons quickly concluded that the opponent's laser weapons were more advanced than theirs. This undoubtedly made Russia realize the need to increase investment in and improvements to laser weapons.

Since the rise in oil and natural gas prices, Russia's energy income has increased significantly and its economy has developed rapidly, so it has sufficient confidence.

Russia's energy mainly consists of oil and natural gas resources. Russia has 440 billion tons of oil reserves and 48 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves. In addition, coal reserves are also considerable, with proven reserves of 1050 billion tons. In addition, Central Asia, which is within Russia's sphere of influence, has proven oil reserves of 44 billion tons and proven natural gas reserves of 22 trillion cubic meters!
Last year alone, Russia exported 2.098 million tons of oil, most of which went to Europe and China, with an export value of more than $430 billion; and exported more than 4000 billion cubic meters of natural gas, with an export value of $650 billion. The export value of oil and natural gas alone reached $1080 billion.

In terms of arms exports, Russia's arms exports reached US$2002 billion in 150.

Coupled with exports from all aspects, Russia saw a surge in export revenue throughout 2002.

And this year, with the outbreak of the Iraq War, export revenue will only increase and not decrease!

As for the oil and natural gas exports of the five Central Asian countries, although the income will not fluctuate so much because they are long-term supply agreements, it is still very considerable.

China is developing very fast, and the demand for oil, natural gas and mineral resources is growing terrifyingly, like a bottomless pit of money-eating beast.

In 2002, China surpassed the United States to become the world's largest oil importer. If the supply to Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia is also included, the oil import volume will be extremely astonishing, reaching 6.4 million tons, surpassing the United States' 5.5 million tons.

And this growth momentum is still maintained. It is expected that in the next ten years, China's oil imports will continue to maintain a relatively high growth trend.

Russia has also had to start adjusting its strategy, taking this opportunity to transform, integrate internal resources, maintain its status as a world-class country, and aim to become one of the poles in the future multipolar world.

With a huge conventional arsenal and nuclear arsenal, how to strengthen air defense capabilities has become a key issue that Russia needs to consider.

Russia urgently needs to upgrade the S300 air defense missile defense system to the S400 air defense missile system, strengthen its own air defense capabilities, and develop the next generation of air defense missile systems and laser weapons. (End of this chapter)