Star Wars

Loring Wirbel

Description

The expansion of space militarization forms a common thread with the explicit unilateral empire-building of the Bush administration. But just as Star Wars did not begin with the Missile Defense Agency, preventive war theory did not originate with Donald Rumsfeld.



Advocates of military space always were on the front line of those demanding global dominance. Loring Wirbel argues that the seeds for the current space supremacy doctrine were sown at the end of the Cold War, in the early days of the Clinton administration. Examining the evolution of space-based tools, Wirbel shows that missile defense strategy is part of a dangerous US move to wage endless preventive war and demand global supremacy over allies and adversaries alike.



Star Wars: US Tools of Space Supremacy provides a fresh look at the role of space as an enabler of the Bush administration’s plans for endless preventive war. It debunks the benign notions of missile defence, and expands the definition of space supremacy to include the unilateral misuse of space-based intelligence, communications, and targeting technologies.
Preface

Introduction

1. The Birth of Intelligence Policy and Space Use

2. Civilian & Military Space Policies, Post-Sputnik

3. Star Wars, Part 1: Safeguard, ABM, And Intelligence Struggles in Space

4. Star Wars, Part 2: The Reagan Arms Buildup

5. Intelligence Goes Real-Time

6. Military Space Policy, Post-Challenger

7. BMDO, 3+3, & The New Missile Threat

8. ‘In Your Face from Outer Space’

9. Permanent War

10. Reclaiming Multilateralism and Peace in Space

Resources

Index

Sujets

• HISTORY
• Histoire
• General officer
• Military intelligence
• Military
• General

Informations

• Publié par: Pluto Press
• Date de parution: 20 janvier 2004
• Nombre de lectures: 3
• EAN13: 9781849642095
• Langue: English

Extrait

Star Wars US Tools of Space Supremacy

Loring Wirbel

P Pluto Press LONDON • STERLING, VIRGINIA

First published 2004 by Pluto Press 345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA and 22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166–2012, USA

www.plutobooks.com

Copyright © Loring Wirbel 2004

The right of Loring Wirbel to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 0 7453 2115 1 hardback ISBN 0 7453 2114 3 paperback

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Wirbel, Loring, 1957- Star wars : US tools of space supremacy / Loring Wirbel. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–7453–2115–1 (HARDBACK) –– ISBN 0–7453–2114–3 (PAPERBACK) 1. Ballistic missile defenses––United States. 2. Astronautics, Military––United States. 3. Space weapons. 4. Space warfare. 5. Space surveillance––United States. 6. Militarism––United States. 7. United States––Military policy. 8. Military-industrial complex––United States. I. Title. UG743.W56 2004 358'.8'0973––dc22 2003015720

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Designed and produced for Pluto Press by Chase Publishing Services, Fortescue, Sidmouth, EX10 9QG, England Typeset from disk by Stanford DTP Services, Northampton, England Printed and bound in Canada by Transcontinental Printing

Contents

Acronyms and Abbreviations Acknowledgements Preface

Introduction 1 The Birth of Intelligence Policy and Space Use 2 Civilian and Military Space Policies, Post-Sputnik 3 Star Wars Part 1: Safeguard, ABM, and Intelligence Struggles in Space 4 Star Wars Part 2: The Reagan Arms Buildup 5 Intelligence Goes Real-Time 6 Military Space Policy, Post-Challenger 7 BMDO, ‘3+3’, and the New Missile Threat 8 ‘In Your Face From Outer Space’ 9 Permanent War 10 Reclaiming Multilateralism and Peace in Space

Resources Notes Index

vi xi xv

1 8 19

30 50 61 71 85 105 119 147

154 164 168

Acronyms and Abbreviations

ABL ABM AFSA AFSC ALCOR ALTAIR

AMSTE ARPA ASAT AUV AWACS BMDO BMEWS C4ISR

CALEA CAOC CIA CMO COIL COMINT CONAD CPIS CSOC DARO DARPA DEFSMAC DEW DHS DMSP DRAM DSCS DSP EELV

Airborne Laser Anti-Ballistic Missile Armed Forces Security Agency Air Force Space Command ARPA-Lincoln (Labs) Coherent Observable Radar ARPA Long-Range Tracking And Instrumentation Radar Affordable Moving Surface Target Engagement Advanced Research Projects Agency Anti-Satellite Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Airborne Warning And Control System Ballistic Missile Defense Organization Ballistic Missile Early Warning System Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Communication Assistance to Law Enforcement Act Combined Air Operations Center Central Intelligence Agency Central MASINT Office Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser Communications intelligence Continental Air Command Citizens for Peace In Space Consolidated Space Operations Center Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Defense Special Misile And Aeronautics Center Distant Early Warning radar system Department of Homeland Security Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Dynamic Random Access Memory Defense Satellite Communication System Defense Support Program Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle

vi

ELINT EMP EOKA EPLF ERIS

ESA EXCOM FALCON FAS FEWS FIA FISC FIST FOL GBS GCHQ GPALS GPS GRACE HAPDAR HARM HEDI HUMINT ICBM ISA IUS JDAM JEDI Joint-STARS

KH LEO MAE MASINT MDA MIDAS MIRV MOL MONET

Acronyms and Abbreviations

vii

electronic intelligence electro-magnetic pulse National Organization For Cypriot Struggle Ethiopian People’s Liberation Front Exoatmospheric Re-Entry vehicle Interceptor Subsystem European Space Agency Executive Committee Force Application and Launch from Continental US Federation Of American Scientists Follow-On Early Warning System Future Imagery Architecture Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Fleet Imagery Support Terminal Forward Operating Location Global Broadcast System Government Communications Headquarters Global Protection Against Limited Strikes Global Positioning System Global Resource Action Center for the Environment Hard Point Demonstration Array Radar High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile High Endo-atmospheric Defense Interceptor human intelligence intercontinental ballistic missile Intelligence Support Activity Inertial Upper Stage Joint Direct Attack Munition Joint Expeditionary Digital Information Joint Surveillance Target Attack Reconnaissance System Keyhole low-earth orbit Metropolitan Area Exchange measurement and signature intelligence Missile Defense Agency Missile Defense Alarm System Multiple Independently-Targeted Re-Entry Vehicle Manned Orbiting Laboratory Multiple Wavelength Optical Network

viii

Star Wars

MUOS NACA NADGE NAI NAP NASA NATO NGO NIMA NMD NOAA NORAD N-POESS

NPR NRO NSA NSC ORS OSR PACBAR PAVE PAWS

PNAC PRESS QDR RADINT RAF RLV RMA RSOC SAC SACEUR SAGE SALT SAMOS SBIRS SBL SBR SDI

Mobile User Objective System National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics NATO Air Defense Ground Environment National Aerospace Initiative Network Access Point National Aeronautics and Space Administration North Atlantic Treaty Organization non-governmental organization National Imagery And Mapping Agency National Missile Defense National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration North American Air Defense Command National Polar-Orbit Operational Environmental Satellite System Nuclear Posture Review National Reconnaissance Office National Security Agency National Security Council Operationally Responsive Spacelift Office Of Space Reconnaissance Pacific Barrier Radar System PAVE = Air Force Program Name; Phased Array Warning System Project for a New American Century Pacific Range Electromagnetic Signature Study Quadrennial Defense Review radar intelligence Royal Air Force Reusable Launch Vehicle ‘revolution in military affairs’ Regional SIGINT Operation Center Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command Europe Semi-Automatic Ground Environment Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty Satellite and Missile Observation System Space-Based Infrared System Space-Based Laser Space-Based Radar Strategic Defense Initiative

SDIO SDS SIGINT SIPRNET SLBM Sosus STARS START TCA Tebac TELINT TENCAP THAAD TMD TSAT UAV UCAV UHF VHF WebTAS WGS WWMCCS

Acronyms and Abbreviations

ix

Strategic Defense Initiative Office Satellite Data System signals intelligence Secret IP Router Network submarine-launched ballistic missile sound surveillance system Strategic Target System Strategic Arms Reduction Talks Transformational Communications Architecture Telemetry and Beacon Analysis Committee telemetry intelligence Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities Theater High Altitude Area Defense theater missile defense Transformational Satellite Unpiloted Aerial (Reconnaissance) Vehicle Unpiloted Combat Aerial Vehicle ultra-high frequency very high frequency Web-enabled Timeline Analysis System Wideband Gapfiller System Worldwide Military Command and Control System

Acknowledgements

My understanding of the way military space networks interop- erate has been aided immensely by those scholars who make a point of sharing their work openly, including independent UK journalist Duncan Campbell, Jeffrey Richelson of National Security Archives, and John Pike of globalsecurity.org. It is particularly gratifying to work with those arms researchers who combine study with action. I have been very lucky to have lived in the same community and shared many ideas with Bill Sulzman, director of Colorado-based Citizens for Peace in Space. Through Bill, I have met many brilliant members of the Global Network and War Resisters League affiliates, including Bruce Gagnon, Mary Beth Sullivan, Karl Grossman, Michio Kaku, Dave Webb, Regina Hagen, Stacey Fritz, Alice Slater, Sheila Baker, Peter Lumsdaine, Carol Rosin, David Knight of CND, and many other activists working in local communities. Frida Berrigan and William Hartung have assembled fine resources at the World Policy Institute, and through Frida and Bill Sulzman I have met many brilliant people associated with the Nukewatch community, including John LaForge, Bonnie Urfer, Jerry Berrigan, and Molly Mechtenberg-Berrigan. My deepest respect goes to those who are willing to sacrifice personal freedoms to challenge space militarism: Lindis Percy and Anni Rainbow of the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases; Helen John, Anne Lee, Wind Euler, and all the remarkable women of the WoMenwith Hill camp in Harrogate, UK; Sisters Carol Gilbert, Ardeth Platte, and Jackie Hudson of Jonah House; and of course, the many Colorado activists and members of CPIS, Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission, and Bijou Community, who are an endless source of inspiration on how to live one’s beliefs.

xi