The international community, with the exception of the United States, Israel, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia, are opposed to the introduction of any kind of space-based weapons system because of the threat that such weapons could be used to deny other nations of the world the use of space . The international community further believes that the introduction of weapons in space will increase the risk for the start of a regional or even global arms race, something that the world wants to avoid at all costs. However, the US has begun the construction and deployment of a multibillion dollar missile defense program that will utilize technologies that can be regarded as space-based weapons. These include technologies such as: anti-satellite weapon systems, which are designed to destroy satellites, space based orbital platforms and stations, etc. The problem with this missile defense program is that it violates a number of treaties and United Nations General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.
In order to get a better understanding of why this system violates a number of key international laws, we must first analyze the system and each of its major components. The US’ envisioned National Missile Defense system utilizes both land-based and space-based weapons and technologies that provide a shield against multiple enemy ballistic missiles launched from anywhere on the face of the Earth at any given time. The NMD system also utilizes state of the art radar technologies to detect incoming missiles. Radar stations assigned the task of detecting enemy ballistic missiles coming into American territory would be strategically and are currently placed throughout the United States. Before Canada pulled from the program a few weeks ago, such radar stations were slated for construction in Canada, which would have extended the missile shield into Canada. This network of radar stations is referred to as the Advanced Early Warning and Detection System. In addition to radar stations on the ground, the AEWD utilizes a system of satellites that monitor the globe twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, searching for the characteristics of a ballistic missile launch. These satellites are equipped with infrared and heat sensors that can pick up the heat signature of ballistic missiles. The job of the satellites, once placed into geosynchronous orbit, would be to acquire and track ballistic missiles throughout their trajectory.
The second major component, and the most important is the land-based interceptor missile, the “weapon” of the NMD system. The job of the interceptor is to intercept incoming missiles and warheads outside the Earth’s atmosphere and destroy them via direct impact. Each interceptor will have the capability to intercept and destroy up to twenty missiles, and with expansion, one hundred missiles could be intercepted. The system as a whole is designed explicitly for the defense of the United States against ballistic missile attacks.
On the other end of the viewpoints spectrum, the United States believes that a national missile defense system is crucial to maintaining its national security. In 2001, Donald Rumsfeld, US Secretary of Defense, led a commission to assess threats to the US space assets from what the President calls “rogue states”. The commission stated its fears that a Pearl Harbor style attack in space was very possible and nearly inevitable. Its recommendation to the President entertained the idea of giving him the option of putting weapons in space to protect US assets.
The United States has been reviewing the idea of deploying a national missile defense system since 1993 when a Bottom-Up Review was done to select the strategy, force structure, and modernization programs for America’s defense in the post-cold war era. The US continues to claim that it should have the technologies readily available should threats from foreign nations emerge that would call for the deployment of the missile defense system. Since then, the United States has kept and improved upon the capability of deploying such a system in a couple of years time, despite the ongoing testing and technology development. The US also claims that deployment of the NMD would be for defensive purposes only and repudiates any claims that the system would introduce weapons into space (place in earth-orbit).
Many scientists, including those from the Federation of American Scientists and nations around the world, believe that the deployment of the US’ envisioned National Missile Defense system would be a total violation of currently existing international laws and agreements such as the Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense (ABM) Treaty, which prohibits the deployment of such a system and all of its weapons components. The scientists also claim that the system could, at any time, without the knowledge of the international community, deploy space-based defenses as originally envisioned in President Ronald Regan’s Strategic Defense Initiative program, which utilized an array of land, air, and space-based weapons that could be used both defensively and offensively against an enemy. The US, on the other hand, defends the legality of its defense system in saying that the main purpose of the system is to defend the US from attack from authorized and unauthorized foreign and domestic ballistic missile attacks.
The next few years will be crucial for the issue of weapons in space and the US deployment of its National Missile Defense system. The international community, and more specifically, the United Nations, will continue to speak out about the deployment of such systems and the almost inevitable introduction of weapons into outer space. The international community will continue to strengthen treaties by means of passing UN resolutions to prevent the United States and all other nations in the world from developing and deploying space-based weapons systems. The United States will continue with its deployment of the National Missile Defense system citing that its actions are justified and that such a system is imperatively needed to maintain the national security of America. This will cause many political problems, and a military crisis over this issue may ensue. It can only be the hope of the world that a peaceful solution that satisfies everyone can be reached.
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