The Best Defense

The us is at a crossroads with respect to space. The challenge that now presents itself is how to craft a strategy that maintains the united states' asymmetric advantage in space while moving from the current age of uncontested access to one where access must be assured by deliberate actions. All military strategies are key to the overall grand strategy of the state, but the us military strategy for space holds a special degree of influence upon the overall success of us grand strategy. This special degree of influence derives from the characteristic offensive omnipresence of orbital platforms; just as the advent of intercontinental missile delivery systems established the offensive omnipresent threat of nuclear weapons. As such, strategists must take special care to weigh not only the necessities of the military strategy for space, but also the broader impact on the nation's grand strategy. What type of strategy would best achieve us security objectives? Should the us adopt a largely defensive strategy to protect its interests and preserve its advantages or does the adage "the best defense is a strong offense" hold true for space?