SWF Contributes to New Publication on Space Operations and Escalation

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

The US Department of Defense (DoD) Strategic Multilayer Assessment (SMA) program is a multidisciplinary, multi-agency portfolio of projects that studies and assesses challenging problems associated with planning and operations of DoD, military services, and government agencies. In 2017 and 2018, SMA conducted a study on contested space operations that examined space defense, deterrence, and warfighting.

As part of the effort, SMA commissioned a white paper on Chinese perspectives on space operations and escalation. SWF Director of Program Planning Dr. Brian Weeden contributed a chapter that discussed the importance of developing norms of behavior for military space activities that can help prevent future conflicts and also reduce the negative repercussions of conflicts that do occur. In his chapter, Dr. Weeden discussed the the recent experiences in multilateral diplomatic efforts on space security, including the European Union-led International Code of Conduct for Space Activities, the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts on Transparency and Confidence Building Measures in Outer Space Activities, and the United Nations' Working Group on the Long-Term Sustainability of Space Activities. Dr. Weeden urges the United States to take a stronger leadership role in shaping future diplomatic efforts to help develop norms of behavior for space.