Centralized Control of Space

Operation Desert Storm was the first conflict in which a land-based military force was directly and fully supported by space forces. For the first time in the history of warfare, space forces were an integral part of terrestrial conflict and crucial to its outcome. Air Force Chief of Staff Merrill A. McPeak called Desert Storm our first "space war" when he remarked, "Try to imagine the war without warning of Scud launches, or instant satellite communications, or weather coverage from space, or the other advantages only the United States had because of our space capability. Space assets will play a central role in any future military action.