The rise of military space powers

Nations around the world are strengthening their defensive and offensive capabilities in space – for the wars of today and tomorrow.

Why is this important: The use of space as a domain of war opens up new avenues for technologically advanced nations to dominate their enemies. But it can also make these countries more vulnerable to attacks in the novel. manners.

• “Space has already been militarized by pretty much any definition,” Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic & International Studies told me, citing the work his organization has done to quantify the problem. “The question is, ‘How are we going to respond? “”

Driving the news: From anti-satellite tests to the establishment of military branches dedicated to space, it becomes a full-fledged theater for military personnel around the world.

• The US Space Command issued a rare statement in July calling what it called an “anti-satellite weapon test” after a Russian satellite appeared to launch a projectile near another Russian satellite.
• China is said to have the technology to blind enemy satellites, according to a March 2020 CSIS report.
• The United States and other countries rely on satellites to keep soldiers safe and get the terrain configuration on the ground.

The state of play: More and more countries are relying on space in ways that benefit their societies, economies, and armies, so it makes sense for them to create tools to ensure access to orbit, Victoria Samson from the Secure World Foundation told me.

• The Space Force – which will celebrate its first anniversary this month – was created in part to deter nations threatening the United States in space.
• “As we expand and defend America’s competitive advantage in peacetime, the ultimate measure of our readiness is the ability to prevail whether war begins or expands into space,” General John Raymond, chief of space operations for the Space Force wrote a planning document in November.
• France and Japan have also recently created their own military space divisions, showing just how essential space has become for military operations around the world today.

Yes, but: Some experts believe that the United States is lagging behind in efforts to secure its space infrastructure.

• While the United States is ahead of all other countries in its capabilities from orbit, the country’s national security satellite infrastructure – which depends on a relatively small number of extremely expensive spy satellites – is vulnerable to attack.
• China, for example, sees its stance on national security space in part as a way to counter American supremacy in orbit, according to a Defense Intelligence Agency report.

The catch: If rich countries can use space to their advantage in various ways, this also creates new vulnerabilities. Building space infrastructure is expensive, but its destruction is relatively easy.

• So far, countries have largely refrained from destroying enemy satellites in part because of the far-reaching geopolitical implications of this type of attack. And creating more space junk affects everyone in orbit, not just your enemies.
• But some experts fear that may change if new standards are not set as nations scramble to build military assets in orbit.

The bottom line: The future of war will continue to depend on space as more and more nations recognize its importance as the highest ground.