• Currently, U.S. national security space capabilities are heavily concentrated on large, multimission satellite platforms that some view as increasingly vulnerable to attack. Disaggregation theory holds that dispersing these capabilities will make them harder to target.
  • But after an exhaustive review of the military space environment carried out last summer, known as the Space Portfolio Review, the Air Force appears to be leaning toward a broader theory informally known as “space protection.” The idea is to assure that the Defense Department and intelligence community can make use of their satellites at any time.
  • Senior U.S. national security officials have upped their rhetoric in recent months about growing threats to U.S. space capabilities. Specifically, these officials have cited a nondestructive anti-satellite test by the Chinese in 2014, launches of suspicious-looking satellites by Russia and increased satellite jamming efforts.

Share This Article