A United States Antisatellite Policy for a Multipolar World

By Major Roger C. Hunter, USAF

Book Id: WPLBN0002170809
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 0.4 MB
Reproduction Date: 10/23/2012

Title:	A United States Antisatellite Policy for a Multipolar World
Author:	Major Roger C. Hunter, USAF
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Non Fiction, Technology, United States AntiSatellite Policy
Collections:	Authors Community, United States
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	Air University Press

Member Page:	Air University Press
Citation APA MLA Chicago Roger C. Hunter, Usa, B. M. (n.d.). A United States Antisatellite Policy for a Multipolar World. Retrieved from http://www.self.gutenberg.org/

Description
A new ASAT policy seems appropriate as the US faces an entirely new, but uncertain, threat with the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the rise of a multipolar world. Analyzing the ASAT debate from the past and the dynamics of the emerging space environment and threat can help in formulating that new ASAT policy—a continued ASAT research and development program, short of production and deployment, and arms control combined with collective security to diminish threat uncertainty. As the US reduces defense spending and force structure, such a policy would serve the national interests of the United States as the multipolar world develops.

Table of Contents
1 SETTING THE STAGE . . . . . 1 ASAT’s Past Arguments—For and Against . . . . . 1 ASAT’s Arguments—Today and Tomorrow . . . . . 3 Notes . . . . . 4 2 CONSIDERING THE ROLE AND VALUE OF MILITARY SATELLITES . . . 5 Notes . . . . . 8 3 ASAT’S GENESIS: THE ARGUMENTS BEGIN . . . 9 Early Arguments for ASAT . . . . . 9 Eisenhower Administration Hedges Its Bets . . . . 10 Resisting ASAT . . . . 10 The Rise of the Satellite Interceptor . . . . . 12 Terminating the Satellite Interceptor . . . . 13 Hedging Bets . . . . . 13 Reconsidering ASAT’s Need . . . . . 14 Summarizing the Early Days . . . . 14 Notes . . . . . 15 4 THE SOPHISTICATION OF THE ASAT CONTROVERSY . . . . 17 Soviets Initiate an ASAT Program . . . . . . 17 Revitalizing the US ASAT—The Carter “Two-Track” Policy . . . . . 18 Soviet Initiatives—And the Reagan Response . . . 20 Soviet Satellites—How Threatening Are They . . . 21 Our Growing Dependence on Satellites . . . 22 Congress Prevails—Constraining the US ASAT . . . . . . 24 Summarizing the Carter and Reagan Years . . . . 24 Notes . . . . . 25 5 CHANGING STRATEGIES . . . 27 Notes . . . . . 29 6 ASAT IN A MULTIPOLAR WORLD . . . . . . 31 Evolving the Argument for ASAT . . . . . . 31 Old Arguments—New Players . . . 32 The Players—Emerging Space Powers . . . 32 The Limitations of Today’s Commercial Satellites . . . . . 33 The Emerging Trends . . . . 34 Technology Does Not a System Make . . . . 35 Negating Reconnaissance Systems . . . . . 37 Stability, Proliferation, and ASAT . . . . . . 39 Summarizing ASAT in a Multipolar World . . . . . 39 Notes . . . . . 39 7 US ANTISATELLITE: WHITHER NOW? . . . 41 Notes . . . . . 45