National Security and Counterspace Capabilities

"The investment China is putting in counterspace capabilities is a matter of concern to us," explained U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Gregory Schulte. "There are more competitors, more countries that are launching satellites ... and we increasingly have to worry about countries developing counterspace capabilities that can be used against the peaceful use of space," he added.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced a ten-year National Security Space Strategy to address space-based threats not just from China, but also from North Korea and Iran – and Ethiopia. That African nation may be best known for a tragic famine during the 1980s, but its space program has jammed a commercial satellite. China remains a greater concern, however, since its military destroyed one of that nation's own satellites during a January 2007 test.

The new National Security Space Strategy provides few details to the press or public, but is designed to make the U.S. what Schulte calls "more resilient". Mutual defense treaties and international agreements regarding "norms of behavior" may complement increased spending on R&D. As Schulte's boss, DoD Secretary Robert Gates explained, the new strategy provides "a basis to update defense plans and programs and make the hard choices that will be required to implement the strategy."

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that some of those "hard choices" will be budgetary. How can the DoD get the most bang for its buck here?

Source: Global Security Newswire