INTIMIDATION, AND THAT IS WHERE
AMERICA'S 2-YEAR-OLD SPACE FORCE
COMES IN.
>> 270 DETONATOR, CHINESE
DRAGON.
>> THOSE TWO ARE ENGAGING.
>> Reporter: IN A DARK SIMULATOR
ROOM AT THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY.
AMERICA'S NEXT GENERATION OF
FIGHTER PILOTS IS IN THE
COCKPIT.
>> AMBUSH ONE.
>> Reporter: BUT THESE FUTURE
OFFICERS HAVE A CHOICE TO MAKE.
THEY CAN STICK WITH A CAREER AS
AIRMEN OR APPLY TO BECOME A
GUARDIAN WITH THE BRAND NEW
SPACE FORCE.
>> SO WE TALK ABOUT HOW THE
WORLD IS IMPACTED BY THE SPACE
ENVIRONMENT.
>> Reporter: WHERE THE FOCUS
SHIFTS FROM FIGHTER JETS TO
SATELLITES.
LIKE IT OR NOT, THE REALITY IS
THE BATTLEFIELD IS CHANGING FROM
PLANET EARTH TO SPACE.
THIS IS A VIEW OF THE ASIAN
PACIFIC THEATER AND THE THREAT
MATRIX IN SPACE IS VERY
DIFFERENT.
IT'S CONGESTED.
IT'S CONTESTED, AND IT'S
COMPETITIVE.
OUR CAMERAS WERE THE FIRST EVER
ALLOWED INSIDE THE CLASSIFIED
SPACE FORCE SATELLITE COMMAND
CENTER WHERE SPACE FORCE
GUARDIANS MONITOR EVERY MILITARY
SATELLITE IN ORBIT, INCLUDING
THE VITAL LINKS TWO UNITS IN THE
FIELD TO AIR FORCE ONE AND THE
NUCLEAR CHAIN OF COMMAND.
WHILE NEXT DOOR, THE GPS COMMAND
CENTER WATCHES OVER 37
SATELLITES THAT PROVIDE FREE GPS
COVERAGE TO THE WORLD.
HOW ACCURATE IS THE U.S. SYSTEM?
>> WITHIN A FOOT AND A HALF
GUARANTEED.
>> A FOOT AND A HALF?
>> YES, SIR.
>> Reporter: OUTSIDE UNDER HEAVY
GUARD, ONE OF SEVERAL MOBILE
SATELLITE COMMAND UNITS NEVER
BEFORE PHOTOGRAPHED, READY ROLL
ACROSS THE COUNTRY SHOULD
HEADQUARTERS FACE IMMINENT
THREAT.
THE U.S. MILITARY SAYS RUSSIA
AND CHINA ARE ALREADY REGULARLY
HARASSING JA MEAN AND PRO MEAN,
U.S. COMMERCIAL SATELLITES THAT
ARE CRITICAL TO THE U.S.
ECONOMY.
SATELLITES COME IN ALL SIZES
FROM A SCHOOL BUS TO A
DISHWASHER TO A COOLER TO THE
SIZE OF A LOAF OF BREAD
PROVIDING EVERYTHING FROM
INTERNET ACCESS TO UNIVERSITY
EXPERIMENTS, GPS AND MILITARY
COMMUNICATIONS.
BOTH RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE
ALREADY TARGETED AND BLOWN UP
THEIR OWN SATELLITES CREATING
MASSIVE ORBITING DEBRIS FIELDS.
>> I THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO
SEND A MESSAGE THAT THEY COULD
TARGET SOMEBODY ELSE'S AS WELL,
AND NOW WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE
AFTERMATH OF THOSE TESTS.
>> Reporter: SPACE FORCE WAS
CREATED TO AVOID AN ACTUAL
SHOOTING WAR IN SPACE OR ON THE
MOON.
GENERAL SEAN BRATTON.
>> HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHAT IS
A HOSTILE ACT IN SPACE?
>> WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT
NOW.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT HISTORY LIKE
WE DO IN THE OTHER DOMAINS TO
BUILD UPON, SO AS WE'RE
ENCOUNTERING THESE THREATENING
ACTIVITIES FOR THE FIRST TIME,
IT'S FORCING US TO REDEALLY DEFI
THESE TERMS.
>> Reporter: A NEW THREAT
ENVIRONMENT FOR NEW GUARDIANS
AND ACADEMY CADETS WHO ARE
ALREADY DESIGNING AND LAUNCHING
THEIR OWN SATELLITES.
AFTER GRADUATING SENIOR COURTNEY
KIRK PATRICK WILL HEAD TO M.I.T.
FOR HER MASTERS, THEN SPACE
FORCE.
>> THEY'RE CREATING A NEW
CULTURE.
EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE FAST
MOVING.
THE DIGITAL FORCE AS THEY CALL
IT, THAT WAS REALLY ATTRACTIVE
TO ME.
>> Reporter: AS FOR THE
FUTURE -- AS THE UNITED STATES
BUILDS OUT A LUNAR PRESENCE OF
OUR OWN, DO WE NEED BOOTS ON THE
MOON TO PROTECT THOSE ASSETS?
>> I THINK THAT REMAINS TO BE
SEEN.
>> LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID.
IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER WE
NEED BOOTS ON THE MOON SOMEDAY.
SPACE FORCE IS SMALL RIGHT NOW,
ONLY 14,000 MILITARY PERSONNEL,
AND THE CULTURE IS MUCH MORE
LIKE SILICON VALLEY, THINK
APPLE, NOT ARMY, WHERE YOU'VE
GOT OFFICERS WITH MASTERS AND
Ph.D.s WORKING ALONGSIDE PEOPLE
RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL WHO ARE
VERY TECH SAVVY.
SO A MUCH MORE COLLABORATIVE
ENVIRONMENT REALLY AT EVERY
LEVEL, AND THAT REALLY STRUCK
ME.
>> WHAT STRUCK ME ABOUT YOUR
STORY THERE, RUSSIA AND CHINA,
SOME OF WHAT THEY'RE ALREADY
DOING, THEY'RE HARASSING,
THEY'RE JAMMING, THEY'RE
PROBING.
ANY CONCERNS THAT THEY HAVE
WEAPONS PERHAPS EMBEDDED IN ANY
OF THESE SATELLITES?
>> THE PENTAGON BELIEVES RUSSIA
ALREADY DOES HAVE WHAT THEY CALL
A NESTING SATELLITE, IN WHICH
THERE ARE WEAPONS INSIDE THE
SATELLITE.
THEY'VE ALREADY USED THAT TO
TARGET AND BLOW UP ONE OF THEIR
OWN SATELLITES.
AND CHINA HAS A SATELLITE WITH A
CLAW ARM THAT CAN REACH OUT AND
DISABLE OTHER COUNTRIES'
SATELLITES AND THE FEAR IS OF
COURSE THAT THOSE WEAPONS COULD
GET MUCH MORE SOPHISTICATED AND
EVENTUALLY ABLE TO TARGET THE
U.S. HOMELAND.
THAT IS THEIR CONCERN.
THAT'S WHY SPACE FORCE EXISTS.
>> A QUESTION WHETHER WE HAVE