Wait a Minute: U.S. Isn't Planning Strike on Venezuela, President Trump Says

 

 

“President Trump on Friday said he isn't considering ordering military attacks on Venezuela, two weeks after suggesting ground strikes were possible.

 

Asked on Air Force One about reports that he is weighing airstrikes against Venezuela, Trump responded: "No, it's not true."

 

On Oct. 15, Trump said he was eyeing ground strikes. "We are certainly looking at land now because we've got the sea under control."

 

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the U.S. military has identified targets in Venezuela that include military facilities used to smuggle drugs. If Trump decides to move forward with airstrikes, the targets would be chosen to send a message to Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro that it is time to step down, U.S. officials said.

 

The Trump administration recently has been particularly focused on unsettling Maduro, ramping up efforts to cast the Venezuelan leader as the leader of a drug-trafficking network, building up U.S. military forces in the region, and stepping up attacks on boats allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean.

 

In June, the president said he would wait two weeks before deciding to take military action against Iran, then ordered bomber strikes on Iranian nuclear sites two days later.

 

The Trump administration rapidly has built up its military forces in the Caribbean, most recently sending America's most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and its accompanying warships. The carrier strike group will join eight warships deployed to the region, as well as a squadron of F-35Bs in Puerto Rico, special operations forces and other military hardware.

 

In a rare bipartisan effort, the Senate's leading defense lawmakers are demanding answers from the Pentagon, pressing for documents related to the strikes against the alleged drug boats.

 

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R., Miss.) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D., R.I.) said on Friday they have twice written to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seeking copies of the execute orders, legal justifications and lists of designated terrorist organizations tied to the Defense Department's actions against drug trafficking cartels.

 

In letters sent on Sept. 23 and Oct. 6, the senators cited statutory requirements under several National Defense Authorization Acts for congressional oversight of such operations. The Pentagon hasn't provided the requested documents, the senators said.

 

Senate Democrats, including Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Mark Warner (D., Va.), also criticized the administration for briefing only Republicans on Caribbean strikes, saying the exclusion of Democrats undermines Congress's oversight responsibilities and leaves them in the dark. "It's not optional. It's our freaking duty," Warner said Thursday, calling the administration's explanation "bulls---."” [1]

 

1. World News: U.S. Isn't Planning Strike on Venezuela, President Says. Seligman, Lara; Bhutani, Anvee.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 01 Nov 2025: A8.  

Mūsų kelionė į Marsą eina per karo pragarą Žemėje: „SpaceX“ laimės 2 mlrd. dolerių vertės palydovų sutartį su JAV

 

„SpaceX“ gaus 2 mlrd. dolerių palydovams, galintiems sekti raketas ir orlaivius, kurti pagal prezidento Trumpo projektą „Golden Dome“, teigė su situacija susipažinę šaltiniai.

 

Finansavimas buvo įtrauktas į mokesčių ir išlaidų įstatymo projektą, kurį Trumpas pasirašė liepą, tačiau viešai nebuvo siejamas su rangovu. Kai kurie šaltiniai teigė, kad planuojama „oro judančių taikinių indikatoriaus“ sistema galiausiai galėtų iškelti iki 600 palydovų.

 

Tikimasi, kad Elono Musko vadovaujama bendrovė atliks svarbų vaidmenį dviejuose kituose Pentagono palydovų tinkluose, teigia su situacija susipažinę šaltiniai. Vienas iš jų, vadinamas „Milnet“, perduotų slaptą karinį ryšį, o kitas – palydovus, galinčius sekti transporto priemones ant žemės, teigė šaltiniai.

 

„SpaceX“ įgytas traukos taškas su būsimais palydovų parkais yra dar vienas ženklas, rodantis augančią bendrovės įtaką JAV nacionaliniam saugumui.

 

Vyriausybės pareigūnai „Golden Dome“ apibūdino kaip sudėtingą palydovų ir kitų technologijų sistemą, kuri galėtų sunaikinti raketas, kol jos nepasiekė savo taikinių. Pentagonas paskelbė nedaug informacijos apie tai, kaip raketų skydas veiktų. darbas.

 

Gynybos pareigūnai dar nesudarė didelių „Golden Dome“ sutarčių, kol dar rengia išlaidų planus. Įstatymų leidėjai ir pramonės vadovai tikisi daugiau informacijos iš Pentagono apie „Golden Dome“ artimiausiomis savaitėmis.

 

Pentagono atstovas atsisakė komentuoti „SpaceX“ dalyvavimą planuojamose palydovų sistemose: „Mes neteikiame išsamios informacijos apie architektūrines diskusijas ar išankstinius sprendimus.“

 

„SpaceX“ neatsakė į prašymą pateikti komentarą.

 

Musko kosmoso bendrovė, žinoma dėl savo raketų paleidimų, sukūrė didelį palydovų verslą, aptarnaujantį karines ir žvalgybos agentūras. Pareigūnai gyrė „SpaceX“ meistriškumą tobulinant nacionalinio saugumo technologijas ir sparčiai dislokuojant palydovus.

 

„Mes pasikliaujame pramone, kuri padės mums diegti inovacijas, parodydama mums galimybių meną – pateikdama mums idėjų“, – praėjusiais metais pramonės renginyje sakė generolas Chance'as Saltzmanas, vyriausiasis Kosmoso pajėgų operacijų pareigūnas.

 

Vasario mėnesį „The Wall Street Journal“ pranešė, kad „SpaceX“ kartu su gynybos technologijų bendrovėmis „Anduril Industries“ ir „Palantir Technologies“ pasiūlė savo paslaugas, kad padėtų sparčiai plėtoti „Golden Dome“ infrastruktūrą. terminas. Tradiciniai gynybos rangovai, tokie kaip „Lockheed Martin“, „Northrop Grumman“ ir „L3Harris“, taip pat siūlo technologijas skydui.

 

Trumpas teigė, kad „Golden Dome“ kainuotų 175 mlrd. dolerių, nors analitikai apskaičiavo, kad tai kainuotų šimtais milijardų daugiau.

 

Prezidentas siekė, kad sistema pradėtų veikti iki jo kadencijos pabaigos. Greitas terminas suteikia „SpaceX“ pranašumą užtikrinant darbus prie projekto, nes bendrovė, anot vyriausybės ir pramonės pareigūnų, gali gaminti ir paleisti palydovus greičiau nei konkurentai.

 

„SpaceX“ neseniai pranešė, kad savo interneto paslaugai „Starlink“ paleido daugiau nei 10 000 palydovų. Dėl spartaus „Starlink“ augimo tai didžiausias palydovų parkas istorijoje.

 

„Breaking Defense“ anksčiau pranešė apie „SpaceX“ dalyvavimą „Milnet“.

 

„Milnet“ sistema kuriama jau daugelį metų ir joje dalyvauja tiek Kosmoso pajėgos, tiek Nacionalinė žvalgybos tarnyba – JAV šnipų agentūra, orientuota į įslaptintus palydovus. NRO, kuri prieš keletą metų pasamdė „SpaceX“, kad sukurtų ir paleistų žvalgybos palydovų spiečių, neatsakė į prašymą pakomentuoti.

 

Daugelis karinių lyderių ir įstatymų leidėjų atsargiai vertina per daug nacionalinio saugumo palydovų tinklų perdavimą per „SpaceX“, baimindamiesi, kad JAV taps pernelyg priklausomos nuo šios bendrovės.

 

Senatorius Rickas Scottas (respublikonas, Florida) neseniai pareiškė, kad toliau sieks konkurencijos, kol formuojasi Trumpo raketų skydas. „Nenoriu atsidurti taip, kad išsirinktume vieną bendrovę ir eitume tam tikru keliu“, – sakė jis, neįvardydamas jokios bendrovės.

 

Gynybos departamento viduje vadovai tokį scenarijų vadina „tiekėjo užraktu“. Tokios situacijos gali „paneigti rinkos stipriąsias puses, slopindamos inovacijas ir didindamos kainas“, – praėjusiais metais pareiškė Pentagono techninė patariamoji grupė Gynybos mokslo taryba.

 

Vyriausybės pareigūnai teigė, kad kai kurie Musko veiksmai sustiprino poreikį turėti kelis rangovus, remiančius nacionalinio saugumo operacijas kosmose. Vienas pavyzdys: jo grasinimas uždaryti erdvėlaivį, kuris gabena Nacionalinės aeronautikos ir kosmoso administracijos astronautus į Tarptautinę kosminę stotį.

 

Muskas atsiėmė šį grasinimą, o „SpaceX“ vadovai dažnai atkreipdavo dėmesį į glaudžius bendrovės ryšius su vyriausybės pareigūnais ir agentūromis.

 

„Vyriausybė gaus tai, ko reikia – kaip visada“, – praėjusiais metais investuotojų renginyje sakė „SpaceX“ prezidentė Gwynne Shotwell, aptardama, kaip bendrovė konflikto atveju skirtų „Starlink“ internetą JAV.“ [1]

 

 

1. U.S. News: SpaceX to Win $2 Billion U.S. Satellite Deal. FitzGerald, Drew; Maidenberg, Micah.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 01 Nov 2025: A2.  

Our Journey to Mars Goes Through the Hell of War on Earth: SpaceX to Win $2 Billion U.S. Satellite Deal

 

 

“SpaceX is set to receive $2 billion to develop satellites that can track missiles and aircraft under President Trump's Golden Dome project, people familiar with the matter said.

 

The funding was included in the tax-and-spending bill that Trump signed in July, but wasn't publicly linked to a contractor. The planned "air moving target indicator" system could eventually field as many as 600 satellites, some of the people said.

 

The Elon Musk-led company is expected to play a major role in two other Pentagon satellite networks, according to people familiar with the situation. One, called Milnet, would relay sensitive military communications, while the other involves satellites capable of tracking vehicles on the ground, the people said.

 

The traction that SpaceX has gained with the coming satellite fleets is another sign of the company's growing influence in U.S. national security.

 

Government officials have described Golden Dome as a complex system of satellites and other technologies that could destroy missiles before they hit their targets. The Pentagon has released few specifics about how the missile shield would work.

 

Defense officials haven't awarded major contracts for Golden Dome while they set its spending plans. Lawmakers and industry executives are expecting more details from the Pentagon about Golden Dome in the coming weeks.

 

A Pentagon representative declined to comment on SpaceX's involvement in the planned satellite systems: "We do not provide details relating to specifics of architectural discussion or predecisional matters."

 

SpaceX didn't respond to a request for comment.

 

Musk's space company, known for its rocket launches, has built a big satellite business serving military and intelligence agencies. Officials have praised SpaceX's prowess at advancing technologies for national security and rapidly deploying satellites.

 

"What we're relying on is industry to help us innovate by showing us the art of the possible -- bringing ideas to us," Gen. Chance Saltzman, the top operations official at the Space Force, said at an industry event last year.

 

The Wall Street Journal reported in February that SpaceX, along with the defense technology companies Anduril Industries and Palantir Technologies, had pitched their services to help develop Golden Dome's infrastructure on a fast timeline. Traditional defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and L3Harris are also proposing technologies for the shield.

 

Trump has said Golden Dome would cost $175 billion, though analysts estimate it would cost hundreds of billions more.

 

The president has pushed for the system to operate by the end of his term. The brisk timeline offers SpaceX an edge in securing work on the project because the company can manufacture and launch satellites more quickly than rivals, according to government and industry officials.

 

SpaceX recently said it had launched more than 10,000 satellites for its Starlink internet service. Starlink's rapid growth has made it the largest satellite fleet in history.

 

Breaking Defense earlier reported on SpaceX's involvement in Milnet.

 

The Milnet system has been under development for years and involves both the Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. spy agency focused on classified satellites. The NRO, which hired SpaceX several years ago to develop and launch a swarm of intelligence satellites, didn't respond to a request for comment.

 

Many military leaders and lawmakers are leery of threading too many national-security satellite networks through SpaceX, fearing the U.S. would become overly dependent on the company.

 

Sen. Rick Scott (R., Fla.) recently said he would keep pushing for competition as Trump's missile shield takes shape. "I don't want to end up where we pick one company and we go down a path," he said, without naming any company.

 

Inside the Defense Department, leaders call such a scenario "vendor lock." Those situations can "negate the strengths of the market by stifling innovation and inflating prices," the Defense Science Board, a technical advisory group for the Pentagon, said last year.

 

Government officials said some of Musk's actions have reinforced the need to have several contractors supporting national-security operations in space. One example: his threat to decommission a spacecraft that transports National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronauts to the International Space Station.

 

Musk walked back the threat, and SpaceX executives have often pointed to the company's close relationships with government officials and agencies.

 

"The government will get what they need -- just like always," SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said at an investor event last year, discussing how the company would dedicate Starlink internet to the U.S. in the event of a conflict.” [1]

 

1. U.S. News: SpaceX to Win $2 Billion U.S. Satellite Deal. FitzGerald, Drew; Maidenberg, Micah.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 01 Nov 2025: A2.