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Space Defense Today The
use of satellites has dramatically augmented human life,
both on and off the battlefield. When it comes to defense,
satellites are increasingly being used for reconnaissance,
communications, and even as weapons themselves. Complex
navigational
systems place satellites in many different
types of orbit around the planet, depending on the use
for which they are designed.
Reconnaissance satellites, or spy satellites as they are
often called, are used for a variety of purposes including
high resolution photography, eavesdropping on communications,
and detection of missile launches. Much about this technology
is shrouded in mystery, as many current satellites in
use possess top-secret status.
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) provide global
coverage for a vast array of applications. Originally
designed for military applications, this technology has
seen major advancements in recent decades. The precision
these units provide when delivering modern weapons to
their targets is unparalleled. This increases the lethal
nature of these weapons and limits collateral damage,
reducing unintended casualties.
These satellites are also employed for the coordination
of land military units, and help these units locate their
own positions more readily. This highlights the importance
of these units in modern warfare. Indeed, a satellite
navigation
systems is a crucial part of potential military
power’s success.
Counter-measures to satellites are increasingly becoming
the focus of any such modern power. The idea behind these
weapons is self-explanatory, but a power that can successfully
disable an enemy’s satellites holds a unique advantage
in modern warfare, which is ever more reliant on satellites
for coordination of forces and targeting needs. Anti-satellite
weapons were originally designed for strategic military
purposes, and while much of the early testing to construct
these weapons focused around land or air based launches,
a space-based line of defense has been the focus of more
modern efforts.
Space based weaponry is a controversial subject, and the
technologies for these types of weapons has not been perfected.
The attachment of ‘kill-vehicles’ to satellites
that monitor exhaust plumes from ground-based rocket launches
is one that could see the light of day in the future,
but many top scientists feel the technologies needed for
success are many years away.
The use of lasers to disable incoming enemy missiles is
another such technology that has met with test failures
and skepticism from scientists and critics. More reliable
lasers are being tested in other fields, which could open
the way to revisit these ideas n the future.
As more countries reach space, its strategic importance
will increase. Technologies in this field will undoubtedly
become more essential in the coming decades. |
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Space
