SWF Releases New Report on Global Counterspace Capabilities

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

STK-generated images courtesy of CSSI (www.centerforspace.com)

Space security has become an increasingly salient policy issue. Over the last several years, there has been growing concern from multiple governments over the reliance on vulnerable space capabilities for national security, and the corresponding proliferation of offensive counterspace capabilities that could be used to disrupt, deny, degrade, or destroy space systems. 

Today, SWF is launching a new report that provides an in-depth assessment of counterspace capabilities being developed around the world. The report is a compilation of publicly-available information for various countries developing counterspace capabilities across several categories: direct ascent, co-orbital, directed energy, electronic warfare, and cyber. For each of these categories, our team of SWF staff and international experts assessed what the current and near-term capabilities might be for the countries examined in the report, based on the open source information. We also assessed the potential military utility for each capability. Finally, when possible, we also examined each country’s policy, doctrine, and budget to support the counterspace capabilities being developed. Taken together, the analysis is intended to provide a more holistic picture of what each country is working on, and how these capabilities may be used.

We hope this report will increase public knowledge of these issues, the willingness of policymakers to discuss these issues openly, and involvement of other stakeholders in the debate over the potential for conflict in space. Our global society and economy is increasingly dependent on space capabilities, and a future conflict in space could have massive, long-term negative repercussions that are felt here on Earth. 

More information about the report and a download link can be found here.