Wow! eBook
Space Warfare: Strategy, Principles and Policy
Author(s): John J. Klein (Author)
- Publisher: Routledge
- Publication Date: 6 Dec. 2005
- Edition: 1st
- Language: English
- Print length: 208 pages
- ISBN-10: 0415770017
- ISBN-13: 9780415770019
Book Description
This new study considers military space strategy within the context of the land and naval strategies of the past.
Explaining why and how strategists note the similarities of space operations to those of the air and naval forces, this book shows why many such strategies unintentionally lead to overemphasizing the importance of space-based offensive weaponry and technology.
Counter to most U.S. Air Force doctrines, the book argues that space-based weapons don’t imbue superiority. It examines why both air and naval strategic frameworks actually fail to adequately capture the scope of real-world issues regarding current space operations. Yet by expanding a naval strategic framework to include maritime activities―which includes the interaction of land and sea―the breadth of issues and concerns regarding space activities and operations can be fully encompassed.
Commander John Klein, United States Navy, uses Sir Julian Corbett’s maritime strategy as a strategic springboard, while observing the salient lessons of other strategists―including Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, Jomini, and Mao Tse-tung―to show how a space strategy and associated principles of space warfare can be derived to predict concerns, develop ideas, and suggest policy not currently recognized.
This book will be of great interest to all students and scholars of military and strategic studies and to those with an interest in space strategy in particular.
Editorial Reviews
From the Author
need to develop a space power theory. In their attempts to formulate such a
strategic theory, strategists have noted the similarities of space
operations to those of air and naval operations. Consequently, many have
attempted to derive a clearly articulated, all-encompassing space strategy
through analogy and comparison to either airpower or sea control models.
These efforts, however, have not produced a strategic theory addressing
space operations and associated national interests. Without such a
strategic framework for space, some analysts fear that the application of
national resources and military force will be misapplied or even
counterproductive.
This book, accordingly, addresses the need to codify a space theory and
strategy, while addressing the following questions. Do space operations and
national interests in space have useful parallels to either air or naval
strategy? If air and naval strategic models do not fully match the broad
scope of space operations, is there one that does? Given a suitable
historical model, what are the principles for a space strategy? Will the
resulting space strategic model be borne out by contemporary observations?
What are the policy implications coming from any all-encompassing space
strategy?
The author argues that neither air nor naval strategic models embrace the
breadth of issues pertaining to space operations and strategy. However, by
expanding naval strategy to include maritime concerns–which incorporate
the interaction of the land and sea–the scope of space strategy can be
adequately modeled. Maritime strategy in fact already exists, especially
within the work of Sir Julian Corbett. By using maritime strategy as
inspiration–while observing the salient lessons of Sun Tzu, Clausewitz,
Jomini, and Mao Tse-tung–it is possible to develop the strategic
principles of space warfare. Albeit the resulting maritime inspired space
strategy is in agreement with much of current joint doctrine, critical
deficiencies in contemporary space literature and policy are brought to
light.
