Anti-satellite weapons: weighing the risks
Anti-satellite weapons (ASATs) play a complex and ambiguous role as both a deterrent and a destabilizing factor. The authors examine the possible military and political roles of ASATs in a variety of crises and conflicts to see how they will affect the balance between the somewhat contradictory goals of fighting and preventing a war. They distinguish between the near and long term since the assessment of future confrontations involving systems that do not exist yet is speculative. They conclude that all the technological trends indicate that ASATs possess a greater capacity for transforming a crisis into a war and for enlarging wars than they do for assisting in military missions or enhancing deterrence. They argue that security is best served by a comprehensive ASATs test-ban treaty complemented by feasible satellite protective measures. 1 figure.
- Research Organization:
- Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY
- OSTI ID:
- 5166298
- Journal Information:
- Daedalus (Boston); (United States), Vol. 1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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