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Outer Space
Militarization, weaponization,
and the
prevention of an arms race
UPDATES
On 12 February 2008, Russia's Foreign
Minister, Sergey Lavrov, presented
a joint Russia-China draft Treaty
on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space,
the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects
(PPWT) to the Conference on Disarmament. For more
information, see RCW's CD
Report from 12 February 2008.
On 21 February 2008, the US military shot
down a failed satellite with a Standard
Missile-3, whose primary vocation is interceptor for
the US Navy’s missile defense system. This incident
highlights one of the deficiencies of the draft treaty proposed
by Russia and China, which does not address attacks from
ground- or sea-based interceptors such as the SM-3. It has
also evoked criticism from many space security experts,
who have vocalized two primary concerns.
For more information, see RCW's
CD Report from 19 February 2008.
Militarization and Weaponization
There is a difference between militarization and weaponization
of space. Space has been militarized since the earliest communication
satellites were launched. Today, militaries all over the world
rely heavily on satellites for command and control, communication,
monitoring, early warning, and navigation with the Global
Positioning System (GPS). Therefore, most states accept
that "peaceful purposes" include military uses, even those
which are not at all peaceful - such as using satellites to
direct bombing raids or to orchestrate a "prompt
global strike" capability.
Although space is heavily militarized, it is
not yet weaponized. Space weaponization is generally understood
to refer to the placement in orbit of space-based devices
that have a destructive capacity. Many experts argue that
ground-based systems designed or used to attack space-based
assets also constitute space weapons, though are not technically
part of the "weaponization of outer space" since
they are not placed in orbit. Some also argue that weapons
that travel through space in order to reach their targets,
such as hypersonic technology vehicles, also constitute the
weaponization of space. Many elements of the US ballistic
missile defense system currently being developed or planned
could constitute space weapons as well, as many possess dual-use
characteristics, allowing them to destroy space assets as
well as ballistic missiles.
The weaponization of outer space
The weaponization of space will destroy strategic balance
and stability, undermine international and national security,
and disrupt existing arms control instruments, in particular
those related to nuclear weapons and missiles. These effects
will inevitably lead to a new arms race. Space weaponization
would seriously disrupt the arms control and disarmament process.
US ground- and sea- based missile defenses have already increased
tensions with Russia. The deployment of US space-based missile
defenses will likely cause Russia as well as the United States
(in response to Russia) to make smaller and smaller reductions
of their nuclear arsenals. China would likely be forced to
build more warheads to maintain its nuclear deterrent, which
could in turn encourage India and then Pakistan to follow
suit.
Space debris
Besides creating an new arms race, the weaponization of space
means proliferation of space debris. Such debris, resulting
from 50 years of space activity, already poses a considerable
hazard to spacecraft. This crowding problem could worsen as
a large number of space weapons could be deployed in Low Earth
Orbit (LEO). The launching and testing of weapons would also
increase space
debris. Moreover, deploying space-based weapons in the
increasingly crowded realm of LEO would leave less room for
civilian systems. Those problems would also occur during periods
of peace. If a number of satellites were to be destroyed during
the course of a war, some scientists warn, they would create
so much debris that it would prevent future satellites from
being stationed in space and generally limit space access.
Updates from 2007
In 2007, several developments both fostering and undermining
space security occurred. In January 2007, China tested
an anti-satellite weapon against one of its own ageing weather
satellites. The United States, while condemning the test,
forged ahead with several space
and missile defence projects with dual-use capabilities.
On the other hand, the UN
Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and the
General Assembly adopted debris mitigation guidelines, and
several states submitted proposals
on space security to the Secretary-General pursuant to
GA resolution
61/75. Substantive discussions on the prevention of an
arms race in outer space (PAROS) were included in the CD’s
proposed programme of work in 2007, and discussion on a treaty
to prevent the placement of weapons of outer space gained
popularity in CD sessions. Since 2004, the United
Nations Institute for Disarmament Research has held seminars
in the CD chamber on space security issues. These conferences
have generated food for thought, and promoted informal, confidence-building
dialogues.
Possible
treaties
A treaty on the prevention of an arms race
in outer space (PAROS)
Through resolutions
and discussions
within the United Nations, a general agreement has developed
that an arms race in outer space should be prevented. However,
due to the structure of the international legal regime and
to the objection of a (very) few states, a treaty has not
yet been negotiated to comprehensively prevent the deployment
of weapons in space or to prevent an arms race in outer space.
The United States systematically argues that an arms race
in outer space does not yet exist, and it is therefore unnecessary
to take action on the issue. The rest of the international
community agrees that, because there is not yet an arms race,
now is the time to prevent weaponization of space.
A treaty on the prevention of placement
of weapons in outer space (PPW)
Some delegations and experts have argued that PAROS is not
the most relevant term or treaty to pursue. Discussion in
the Conference on Disarmament has recently focused instead
on a treaty
to prevent the placement of weapons in outer space. Changing
the language in this way circumvents the US argument against
PAROS, though it doesn't solve questions of definitions over
where outer space begins, what type of weapons should be prohibited,
or if the treaty would be verifiable.
On 12 February 2008, Russia's
Foreign Minister, Sergey
Lavrov, addressed the Conference and presented a joint
Russia-China draft Treaty
on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space,
the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects
(PPWT). It is the first draft treaty on this issue formally
introduced to the CD, though it is based on elements
proposed in a working paper to the CD in June 2002 by Russia,
China, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Belarus, Zimbabwe, and Syria.
Minister Lavrov explained the draft treaty is designed “to
eliminate existing lacunas in international space law, create
conditions for further exploration and use of space, preserve
costly space property, and strengthen general security and
arms control.”
For more information, see RCW's CD
Report from 12 February 2008.
To stay up-to-date with this issue and all others at the
Conference on Disarmament, subscribe to RCW's CD
Report by emailing the project
associate with the subject line "subscribe cdreport".
Outer space is said to be used only for peaceful
purposes. Although the term "peaceful purposes" was never
clearly defined, it was accepted that this included military,
commercial, scientific, and development uses.
Military use of space
Space has been militarized since the earliest communication
satellites were launched. Today, militaries all over the
world rely heavily on satellites for command and control,
communication, monitoring, early warning, and navigation
with the Global Positioning System (GPS). Therefore, most
states accept that "peaceful purposes" include military
uses, even those which are not at all peaceful - such as
using satellites to direct bombing raids or to orchestrate
a "prompt global strike" capability.
Commercial use of space
Commercial expansion into space is a rapidly growing
area of development and financial investment. The commercial
satellite use for communication, remote sensing, navigation,
and television is growing faster than any other space sector,
and its growth is forecasted to continue as demand increases
for faster internet access, direct television, and wireless
services. Deploying weapons in space threatens the security
of satellites and of access to outer space for commercial
and civilian use, but the commercial sector has remained
pretty quiet in the debate about weaponization of outer
space. This might be caused by corporations, which have
both military and commercial interests. Those companies
that don't have any link to the military should be prepared
to put pressure on governments and make it more difficult
to neglect the danger of weaponization in outer space.
Scientific use of space
At the core of all commercial and military space development
is a legacy of scientific experimentation. Russia, Japan,
Europe, and the United States have strong space programs,
all emphasizing scientific discovery. The benefits nations
derive from space science and an improved understanding of
the earth and the universe lend weight to the need to prevent
space weaponization.
Space and Development
The Millennium
Declaration, adopted in September 2000 by all member states
of the United Nations, defines a key framework for global
cooperation in the 21st century. Space-based technologies
and space in a broader sense offer significant and unique
solutions to many of the target goals set by the Millennium
Declaration. Sustainable development requires an up-to-date
and comprehensive information base to support planning and
decision-making. Spatial data, acquired by either space- or
ground-based means, is an increasingly important part of this
information base. The Internet and satellite communication
services allow for dynamic information sharing and exchange
between partners in sustainable development, thus enhancing
the benefits of complementary activities.
For example, satellite images provide information
about land cover, land use, difficult areas like forests,
deserts and swamps, areas undergoing rapid environmental change,
effects of natural disasters, impacts of pollution and war-torn
regions. The recent tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean demonstrated
the extent that space technologies can contribute to emergency
response and disaster reduction. These technologies have proven
useful in the risk assessment, mitigation, and preparedness
phases of disaster management. As the global community learned
from the tsunami event, space technologies have also a central
role to play in providing early warning to communities that
are at risk. But in order for developing countries to be able
to incorporate the use of space technology-based solutions,
there is a need to increase awareness, build national capacity,
and develop solutions that are customized and appropriate
to the needs of the developing world.
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