Investing.com -- On Tuesday, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall responded to concerns raised by Democratic senators regarding Elon Musk's reported communications with Russian leaders. Kendall assured the senators of the Pentagon's commitment to security and the presence of sufficient competition within its space programs to mitigate any risks of over-reliance on Musk's SpaceX.
Kendall's response came in a letter dated December 13, to Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed. The letter, which Bloomberg News obtained, highlighted Kendall's alignment with the senators' security concerns but did not provide specific details about these apprehensions.
The correspondence follows a previous letter from the senators, sparked by an October report from The Wall Street Journal. The report claimed that Musk had engaged in conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and maintained ongoing contact with other high-ranking Russian officials since as early as 2022.
The Air Force Secretary emphasized the competitive nature of the satellite launch contracts managed by the Space Force and the Space Development Agency. These agencies are responsible for the expedited deployment of surveillance and communication satellites into low-earth orbit, a process that involves multiple providers to ensure diversity and resilience in the U.S. space program.
While Russia has refuted the allegations of discussions between Musk and its officials, Musk himself has mocked the report, resorting to humor rather than outright denial. In a tweet responding to the story's implications, he used laughing emojis to downplay the suggestion that he might be acting as a Russian agent.
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