ULA’s Tory Bruno: US Needs Next-Gen Rockets to Deter Anti-Satellite Weapons

Tory Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance, said the U.S. must develop next-generation rockets to deter and counter potential anti-satellite weapons from China and other potential adversaries.

“We must maintain this ultimate high ground and deter others bringing warfare into this domain. If deterrence fails, we must prevail in protecting the critical capabilities our space assets provide,” Bruno wrote in an opinion piece published Tuesday on Defense News.

He noted that ULA was one of the three companies selected by the U.S. Air Force in October to build rocket prototypes and the service plans to pick two launch providers this year to support national security launches in the next 10 years as part of the competition’s second phase.

“The decision to select two providers is ideal, ensuring the nation benefits from competition and that at least two providers are always capable of performing the most difficult national security missions,” he wrote.

Bruno said the Air Force must ensure that the country has access to next-generation rockets backed by a “robust industrial base” to maintain national security.