US’ biggest weakness may lie in outer space

“We have to be incredibly lucky to avoid a major race in space in the years to come”, stated Ashley Tellis, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Tellis spoke at a discussion hosted by The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on whether we can keep space from becoming the next ’shooting gallery’.

Tellis also stated that powerful nations, most notably China, view the US dependence on space for intelligence and data as a key vulnerability. As a result, China’s national military strategy calls for the interdiction of US space capabilities as a way of equalizing the advantages the US enjoys on the conventional battlefield. He concludes by stating that, in his opinion, the US’s best solution to the problem is to utilize a plan of deterrence coupled with sufficient capability for retaliation that would absorb the initial attack, and make the aggressor believe that an attack is not worth initiating.

President of the Henry Stimson Center Michael Krepon takes a much different approach. He pointed to the classic Cold War rivalry between the US and Soviet Union. Despite their competition, both nations felt compelled to sign the Outer Space Treaty, which formed the basis for international space law. Because both nations used space for intelligence gathering, both felt compelled to agree to limitations and practices that protected their own interests. With this in mind, Krepon endorsed a plan involving a code of conduct for outer space interaction for all, which he feels would prevent aggression between states. Krepon also stated that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has endorsed such a code.