Competing in Space – USA Gov Policy

The U.S. Air Force has released an unclassified report created by the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASC) detailing developing trends in the space domain and the growing challenges posed by foreign space assets.The report, titled “Competing in Space,” was created at the request of Air Force senior leaders to serve as a discussion tool for the public. The New York Analysis of Policy and Government presents the report in this three-part series.

After the Cold War, the United States dominated space. Over the past two decades, an emergent China and a resurgent Russia developed advanced technologies that eroded our advantage. Foreign competitors are integrating advanced space and counterspace technologies into warfighting strategies to challenge U.S. superiority and position themselves as space powers.

Rising demand and declining cost for high-quality space-based services have increased the number of systems in space and the number of countries or multinational organizations that can access space capabilities. The number of foreign reconnaissance and remote sensing satellites has tripled from 100 to 300. Foreign satellite communications, navigation, and launch services are increasingly available to competitors. China and Russia remain leaders in space launch and space-based services.

Potential adversaries are developing and proliferating anti-satellite capabilities supported by an array of sensors to characterize and target space systems. Multiple attack options (e.g., cyber, electronic, or directed-energy weapons; anti-satellite missiles; or space-based weapons) enable potential adversaries to achieve a range of damaging effects. This publication identifies developing trends in the space domain, details growing challenges posed by foreign space assets, characterizes threats to U.S. and allied use of space, and presents an outlook for the evolution of these trends.

Space is Contested, Congested, and Competitive

Competitors are developing technologies that contest U.S. and allied space systems and services. Reduced costs of space technologies and launch services have supported explosive growth in the number of objects in space and enabled numerous countries to acquire advanced technologies, boosting their own space industries and countering U.S. competitive advantage.

Space-Based Capabilities are Vulnerable

The global economy and civilian population are dependent on space systems. U.S. and allied militaries use space systems to connect, warn, guide, and inform decisions across the entire spectrum of conflict. Adversaries are aware of the advantages space services provide and actively seek You’re safe now… you’re safe now…” Whoa! Sounds familiar, eh? Are you that overprotective over your smartphone-specifically, your iPhone? Hello! Who wouldn’t? loved that viagra professional price Considering how much iPhone costs these days; one cannot simply afford an iPhone. Unfortunately, it is nothing viagra tablet in india more than a wish for them. However, if erectile dysfunction is a chronic or very old problem for a person then the supplements work in different schemes. http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/02/13/butte-county-sheriff-were-still-quite-early-on-into-this-situation/ tadalafil from cipla Paula Chaplin – Speappalachianmagazine.com buy viagra onlinet Practice Nurse to Dr Jill Pritchard, Genito-urinary consultant at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust, Surrey. “I work in the Blanche Heriot Unit as a speviagrat Nurse seeing patients with vulval pain and discomfort. capabilities to deny them.

Space is Increasingly Militarized

Both China and Russia are developing new space capabilities to achieve military goals and reduce their reliance on U.S. space systems. Through military reforms, China and Russia have organized new military forces devoted to the employment of space and counterspace capabilities and regularly integrate them into military exercises. Meanwhile, these countries continue to develop, test, and proliferate sophisticated anti-satellite weapons to hold U.S. and allied space assets at risk.

International Norms Remain Elusive

Over the past decade, international forums have pursued legal frameworks for responsible conduct in space. To date, the international community has not achieved a global consensus on new laws or norms despite efforts to increase transparency in space operations, avoid deliberate debris-generating events (e.g., antisatellite weapon tests, orbital collisions), and prevent the placement of weapons in space.

China and Russia continue to endorse a draft “Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, the Threat or Use of Force Against Outer Space Objects (PPWT).” While this draft promotes “no first placement” of weapons in space, it fails to address a variety of anti-satellite weapons and lacks meaningful verification mechanisms. Furthermore, despite publicly insisting that space is a peaceful domain, these competitors are continuing development of several anti-satellite weapons.

Technology Proliferation Driving the Increase in Competitive Space Actors

Historically, high cost and technical complexity limited space access to a select few space powers. Over the past few decades increased commercialization and affordability of space technologies means satellites are no longer restricted to a few space powers. Today, over 50 countries and multinational organizations own or operate space assets, while China and Russia maintain the largest foreign space system fleets.

The Report Continues Tomorrow

Illustration: National Air and Space Intelligence Center

Quick Analysis

Part 3: AMERICA’S STRATEGIC POSTURE

We conclude our summary of the urgent recommendation of the Congressional Committee on the nation’s Strategic Posture NON-NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES The Commission recommends: The United States urgently deploy a more resilient space architecture and adopt a strategy that includes both offensive and defensive elements to ensure U.S. access to and operations in space. The United States and its Allies take steps to ensure they are at the cutting edge of emerging technologies – such as big data analytics, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) – to avoid strategic surprise and potentially enhance the U.S. strategic posture. The United States prioritize funding and accelerate long-range non-nuclear precision strike programs to meet the operational need and in greater quantities than currently planned. x America’s Strategic Posture The United States develop and field homeland IAMD that can deter and defeat coercive attacks by Russia and China, and determine the capabilities needed to stay ahead of the North Korean threat.4 The Secretary of Defense direct research, development, test and evaluation into advanced IAMD capabilities leveraging all domains, including land, sea, air, and space. These activities should focus on sensor architectures, integrated command and control, interceptors, cruise and hypersonic missile defenses, and area or point defenses. The DOD should urgently pursue deployment of any capabilities that prove feasible. The Secretary of Defense and the Military Departments transfer operations and sustainment responsibility for missile defense to the appropriate Military Departments by 1 October 2024. This will allow the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to focus on research, development, prototyping and testing. ALLIES AND PARTNERS The Commission believes it is in the U.S. national interest to maintain, strengthen, and when appropriate, expand its network of alliances and partnerships. These relationships strengthen American security by deterring aggression regionally, before it can reach the U.S. homeland, while also enabling U.S. economic prosperity through access to international markets. Withdrawing from U.S. alliances and partnerships would directly benefit adversaries, invite aggression that the United States might later have to reverse, and ultimately decrease American, allied, and partner security and economic prosperity. Further, the Commission believes that our defense and the defense of the current international order is strengthened when Allies can directly contribute to the broader strategic posture, and the United States should seek to incorporate those contributions as much as possible. The Executive branch should recognize that any major change to U.S. strategic posture, policies, or capabilities will have great effect on Allies’ perceptions and their deterrence and assurance requirements. As a result, any changes should be predicated on meaningful consultations. RISK REDUCTION The Commission believes it is of paramount importance for the United States to work to reduce strategic risks. This involves activities and programs across the U.S. government, including in nonproliferation and arms control, as well as maintaining strong, viable, and resilient military forces. The Commission recommends that a strategy to address the two-nuclear-peer threat environment be a prerequisite for developing U.S. nuclear arms control limits for the 2027-2035 timeframe. The Commission recommends that once a strategy and its related force requirements are established, the U.S. government determine whether and how nuclear arms control limits continue to enhance U.S. security. The Commission recommends that the United States continue to explore nuclear arms control opportunities and conduct research into potential verification technologies in order to support or enable future negotiations in the U.S. national interest that seek to limit all nuclear weapon types, should the geopolitical environment change. Where formal nuclear arms control agreements are not possible, the Commission recommends pursuing nuclear risk reduction measures to increase predictability and reduce uncertainty and the chances for misperception and miscalculation. The 2009 Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States reported that the United States was at “a moment of opportunity, . . .but also a moment of urgency” – because the security environment had improved and the threat of nuclear proliferation was the principal concern. Since 2009, the security environment has dramatically worsened and new existential threats have emerged. This Commission concludes that the United States now faces a highstakes challenge that requires urgent action. Nevertheless, the Commission has not seen the U.S. government demonstrate the urgency and creativity required to meet the challenge. Nothing other than synchronized steps taken by the Executive and Legislative Branches will craft the strategy and build the posture the nation requires. The challenges are unmistakable; the problems are urgent; the steps are needed now. Photo: An Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during a test at Vandenberg Space Force Base (DoD)