American satellites are vulnerable to attack and there is little the United States can do to prevent direct attacks on them, said Air Force Gen. John Hyten.
Hyten, who heads Air Force's Space Command, said there is a complex range of variables involved in trying to protect satellites.
"It depends on the satellite, it depends on the mission, it depends on when it was built, it depends on how old it is," he said in an interview with
CBS' "60 Minutes." "It depends on when we know the threat is coming."
He said that America's technological capabilities are under constant threat from damage to satellites. He added that the devices are some of the military's most valuable assets.
"When you have 50,000 pounds of thrust, if anything goes wrong, it's an explosion," Hyten said.
"It's dangerous," he added. "And you lose the capabilities, that's on the top."
Hyten said that satellites are instrumental in securing America's position in outer space, which he predicted would be the next frontier for combat.
"There is no such thing as a day without space," Hyten said. "Remotely piloted aircraft— all-weather guided munitions — didn't exist before space."
"Now we can attack any target on the planet, anytime, anywhere in any weather," he said.
Hyten said that his command is dedicated to addressing existing and emerging threats.
"It's way too valuable for us to just be surprised," he said of his mission.
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