U.S. air force has its own space-age plan America intends to take dominant role

U.S. air force has its own space-age plan America intends to take
dominant role

(EXCERPT) David Pugliese Ottawa Citizen

February 20, 2004

OTTAWA -- The U.S. air force has unveiled a plan to put weapons into
orbit and destroy other countries' satellites as part of a strategy
that views outer space as dominated by America and its allies.

The plan, which echoes former U.S. president Ronald Reagan's Star Wars
scheme, proposes systems such as a space-based radio frequency weapon
and anti-satellite missile. Other weapons would involve putting
mirrors into orbit so they could reflect laser-beams against targets.

It's unclear what role allies such as Canada, currently in
negotiations with the U.S. over joining the Pentagon's missile defence
system, will play in the strategy.

"The ability to deny an adversary's access to space services is
essential so that future adversaries will be unable to exploit space
in the same way the United States and its allies can. It will require
full spectrum, sea, air, land and space-based offensive counterspace
systems," the plan states.

Putting weapons into space has been long opposed by the Canadia...

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The American War Library
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