Defending Space: US Anti-Satellite Warfare and Space Weaponry

Osprey Fortress #53

by Clayton K.S. Chun, Chris Taylor (Illustrations)

The United States has been developing space for many years, and satellites provide the US military with an unparalleled advantage over adversaries. Constellations of both military and civilian satellites provide protection and support for military operations, deliver ballistic missile early warning, supply reliable, secure and jam-proof communications, gather audio-visual amd electronic intelligence, predict weather patterns, guide navigation, target weapons, and perform a host of other missions. These systems are critical to America's status as a world power, and potential threats to them are carefully assessed by US military planners. In January 2001, a commission led by Donald Rumsfeld warned of the growing threat to US space assets from so-called "rogue states," who (with varying degrees of difficulty) might build and deploy "space mines", launch ballistic anti-satellite weapons, deliberately increase orbital debris or detonate high-altitude nuclear explosions. The defensive options currently available to the US include improving satellite defenses (making them more robust and maneuverable, and improving threat detection) and the controversial placing of weapons in space (in "sentinel satellites") to protect military and civilian hardware. Since the 1950s research and development has been applied to space weaponry with mixed results, and not only by the USA. This book explains the origin and development of systems used to defend the United States from past, present and future threats, and to support military operations.

Genres: Nonfiction, Military Fiction, History, Military History, Space

64 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2006

About the author

Dr. Clayton K. S. Chun is the Chair for the Department of Distance Education at the U.S. Army War College located at Carlisle Barracks, PA. Before assuming his current duties, he was Professor of Economics at the College. Dr. Chun completed a full career in the U.S. Air Force with assignments to missile, space, acquisition, education, strategy development, and command positions. He has written articles and books dealing with issues related to national security, military history, and economics. He held the Army War College’s General Hoyt Vandenberg Chair of Aerospace Studies. Dr. Chun has a B.S. in business from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.A. in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an M.S. in systems management from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in public policy analysis from the RAND Graduate School.

Reviews

[Declan Waters · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very detailed description of the history of military satelites, and their impact up to 2003. Being that this is a fast moving area of technology a 2nd edition is clearly needed.

The Author is clearly very knowledgable of the subject, but continuously uses abbreviations (some without explanation except in the back) and sometimes so many in a sentance to be impossible to follow. The book also fails to mention much on it premise 'Defending Space' or its tagline '...Anti-Satellite Warfare...' instead being a book about how satellites (both military and civilian) were used in both Gulf Wars and the impact that they had - which was significant.

Overall, a disappointment.

[Juan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a terse exposition of precisely what the title says: weaponry in space, mainly as it was at the beginning of the century, when the book was published. It’s not long, and it’s not too narrative: it’s expositive, has nice illustrations, and it’s chock-full of names and acronyms. I guess it does its job: talks about how the space program was originated as a side product of ballistic missile development, and how space is nowadays part of the war effort at the lowest level, as probably seen right now in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where we see satellite images in social networks every other day.
The book is informed and brief. Probably everything you could ask for.

[Almantas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Osprey Publishing Fortress publication.

[Ronald Jones]

A great source for anyone interested in the United States' militarization of space. The book offers a history of American space endeavors, a technological rundown of those space related systems that have had direct or indirect military applications as well an analysis of the space (military) capabilities of other nations.

[Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

MMIII guidance sections sold to China by Clinton, now they can destroy our satellites. So do we always have something better? We will see;) Remember Hainan Island?