Check out this
with the designer of HTV-2 and he has some insights into China's current systems, esp. strategic gliders, and what it takes to defeat it. It's already more or less at the highest end of what is possible.
This timestamped clown in the YouTube video is peddling the delusion that if the US just prevents China from invading Taiwan for the next few years, China will economically collapse and no longer be able to afford space and military investments. He also goes on to explain that the US achieves more with two launch sites and two vehicles than China does with more than a dozen launch sites and vehicles. This is a sales pitch for more funding from the US government. He's just like all the other snakes angling for funding and selling dreams of American dominance. He's definitely not talking like a real engineer or designer. Instead, he's talking like a politician or a sales rep. Thank you for sharing nothing of value.
There's a reason "Punchbowl News" has 6k subscribers and this video has 429 views over 4 months. ULA paid them to provide a platform for pitching that the US government should do even more business with them. Then they paid a few senators to do some cheer leading before Tony Bruno goes on stage. None of this is serious analysis. It's a tiny part of a larger lobbying campaign.
In August 2014, Bruno left
to become the president and chief executive officer of
(ULA),
a joint venture owned by
and
. Bruno's appointment came as ULA was facing increased competition from newer entrants into the space launch industry, especially from
with their
rocket, in addition to political pressure from the
to stop purchasing the
-made
rocket engines for use on the
.
Under Bruno's leadership, ULA responded to these issues by announcing , a new rocket building on the technology of Atlas V and , using the engine developed by .
Despite achieving certification, military officials have expressed sharp dissatisfaction with Vulcan's performance during its protracted development. In written testimony to the
in May 2025, Major General
, said that the program had performed "unsatisfactorily" in the previous year. He noted that the slow transition from the retired Atlas and Delta vehicles to Vulcan had delayed four national security launches, hindering the completion of Space Force objectives. Purdy said that, moving forward, United Launch Alliance must "repair trust" and demonstrate greater accountability.
In other words, ULA is failing to meet military expectations and is desperate to sell the story that they are winning, the US is winning, the US will win, and ULA is key to that. And please keep giving us lots of money, more and more.