It is highly likely that the Trump administration will move to have the U.S. deploy weapons in space. If this happens, it will be profoundly destabilizing, setting off an arms race and, also likely, leading to war in space. For decades there’s been interest by U.S. administrations—the Reagan administration with its “Star Wars” plan a leading example—in placing weapons in space. But that has alternated with some administrations more-or-less opposed, the Obama administration an example.
"One idea that has kicked around for decades is a system that would consist of a tungsten projectile and a navigation system. Upon command, these ‘rods from God’ as they are poetically called would re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and would strike a target, even one in a superhardened underground banker, at 36,000 feet per second, obliterating it.”
“The real differentiator here is the acquisition strategy, with a lot of competition -- a lot of ‘fly before you buy’ -- built in,” CSIS' Tom Karako says. “The relatively longer NGI development timeline for homeland ballistic missile defense can be mitigated by near-term improvements” in ground missile defense.
By Karl Grossman, prof of journalism, Columbia Uni 28 April 2021
The U.S., the United Kingdom and the then Soviet Union joined decades ago in drafting the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 that designated space as a “global commons” for peaceful purposes. The treaty bans the deployment of weapons of mass destruction in space. It’s been signed by most nations on Earth.
Russia and China—along with U.S. neighbor Canada—have led in a move to expand the Outer Space Treaty by outlawing the deployment of any weapons in space.
PAROS has wide world support. But through a succession of U.S. administrations—Republican and Democrat—the U.S. government has voted against the PAROS treaty at the Conference on Disarmament of the United Nations. Because conference decisions must be supported by consensus, the U.S. has effectively vetoed enactment of the PAROS treaty.
"We stand together for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities and enhancing safety of space operations through implementation and development of the relevant UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space guidelines," the leaders noted in the New Delhi Declaration
Mit einem im rheinland-pfälzischen Ramstein stationierten Weltraumkommando für Europa und Afrika rüstet sich das US-Militär für Konflikte im All. Steven Basham, stellvertretender Befehlshaber United States European Command, spricht bei der Zeremonie zur Aktivierung des Kommandos der US Space Forces für Europa und Afrika auf der US-Airbase Ramstein. (Foto: dpa)
Lesen Sie in diesem Artikel:
Was das Kommando leisten soll
Warum die US-Streitkräfte sich auf Konflikte im All vorbereiten
Wer damit droht, US-Satelliten als legitime Angriffsziele anzusehen
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In September 2023, SIPRI published a report that analyses the critical interplay between space systems, military operations and the potential for nuclear escalation. The report explores the multiple civilian and military uses of space systems, including missions related to nuclear deterrence.
The findings of the report lay the groundwork for a deeper analysis of potential escalation pathways and the formulation of risk-reduction measures for policymakers.
Read the report here: https://www.sipri.org/publications/20...
Jun 2023. (This video includes animated sequences that are not necessarily representative of actual military hardware, technologies or capabilities.) Synopsis Every day, Allied citizens are protected from airborne threats by an integrated network of sensors, missile defence systems and fighter jets. Collectively, they’re known as the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (IAMD). But how does this system work?
Threats from the air are first detected by an array of sensors deployed by Allies. Based on land, at sea, in the air and even in space, these are capable of detecting aircraft or missile launches minutes after they occur. They feed the data to NATO command posts, such as the Combined Air Operations Centres (CAOCs) in Uedem, Germany and Torrejon, Spain. Commanders can then determine the best way to deal with the threat.
The task might fall to long-range, high-altitude missile defence systems like the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), or the short-to-medium range French Sol-Air Moyenne Portée/Terrestre (SAMP/T). NATO can also use missile defence warships or fighter jets to deal with the threat.
In recent years, the Alliance has had to contend with new threats such as unmanned vehicles and hypersonic missiles. NATO is hard at work on tactics and technology to counter these problems.