Does the United States Need Space-Based Weapons?

Major Spacy examines the kinds of weapons that have been proposed for use in space. He compares their capabilities with those of their surface-based counterparts. He addresses two questions: What do space-based weapons have to offer that other forms of military power lack? What are space-based weapons likely to cost both in terms of dollars and in lost opportunities for pursuing other systems? Major Spacy evaluates the theoretical capabilities of orbital weapons and compares them to weapons already in existence and concepts proposed for development. His objective is to provide insight into where future investments should be made if the United States is to protect its increasingly important space-based assets and retain its position as a global leader able to project military power wherever necessary.