The US Military and Outer Space: Perspectives, Plans and Programs

The book intends to explain the evolution of U.S. military perspectives, plans, and programs for the use of space from the 1950s to the present. It will show how and why the military's use of space has moved from the highest strategic levels down to the tactical level and now enables a new American way of war that substitutes precision for mass. It will also explore the role of key individuals and organizations in shaping the military's use of space and evaluate the utility of the evolution of airpower doctrine and organizations as an analogy for the development of space power. The book would also cover recent events such as the use of space for precision bombing and network-centric warfare in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, as well as recent political and bureaucratic developments such as implementing the recommendations of the Rumsfeld Space Commission.