Space

The role of outer space in modern warfare has assumed central importance since the dawn of the Space Age with the launching of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957. In recent decades, the military use of space has matured to the point where space capabilities are increasingly no longer seen as merely supporting terrestrial forces, but are fully integrated with modern joint operations in all operational domains. Its increasing importance is driven by the growing dependence of modern joint military forces on space systems to enable information-led warfare and achieve a “knowledge edge” over an opponent. This allows warfare to be conducted in a manner that emphasizes precision rather than attrition, and speed rather than prolonged and bloody battle. Dependence on military space systems will ...