Wars Are Moving to Space, and the U.S. Is Not Ready

War is coming to space, and the Pentagon warns that America is not prepared. This is the consequence of years of underinvestment while the military has been focused on ‘terrestrial’ threats, reports Politico.

Russia and China have been ahead of the U.S. for years in developing technology to destroy or disable satellites on which the U.S. military relies for life-critical information during conflicts on Earth. Satellites are used for gathering intelligence, positioning, and guiding missiles and drones.

– When we talk about war, people must keep in mind that our eyes and ears are in space. We must not allow our adversaries to take away our sight and hearing during conflicts, stated Mike Rogers, a Republican who heads the Armed Services Strategic Subcommittee.

>>>India Launched a Rocket with 31 Satellites into Space

The Pentagon is now trying to make up for lost time by investing billions of dollars in developing defenses against anti-satellite weapons and training soldiers to navigate situations when the connection with satellites in orbit is lost.

– We are approaching the moment when Star Wars will no longer be just a movie, said Steve Isakowitz, director of Aerospace Corporation, a think tank that serves as one of the main advisory bodies to the U.S. military on all space-related issues.

– If the U.S. wants to avoid a ‘space Pearl Harbor,’ it must seriously consider the possibility of an attack on the U.S. space system, states a report issued in 2001 by Donald Rumsfeld, then U.S. Secretary of Defense. Experts argue that the U.S. military has not paid enough attention to space due to the terrorist attacks that occurred that year and changed global priorities.

>>>Musk Launched a Recycled Rocket to ‘Dominate’ Space Debris

A sign that America now wants to secure itself in this regard is President Donald Trump’s recent statement that the new national strategy for space is to treat space as a potential war zone, just like land, sea, and air.

– Armed conflict in space would be catastrophic for all parties, including neutral states, companies, and international civil society, warned Cassandra Steer from the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law at the University of Pennsylvania.

>>>By Launching Its First Commercial Rocket, Rocket Lab Becomes the Only Small Company in Orbit

She added that the biggest challenge is developing a space defense system that does not stray into offense.

– How do we protect our space infrastructure without creating conditions for an arms race that could draw us into war in space? Trying to dominate space as the U.S. dominates other fields of conflict, such as land, sea, and air, could be a very bad idea, she concluded.