Speculation on the Mysterious New US Spy Project

9 December 2004

If I were the Chinese government and wished someday to replace the US military dominance of the world with a Chinese version, I think I would seek victory through patience. Effective US military dominance is highly dependent on its space assets, but I wouldn't threaten them just yet. I would build civilian space capability and be ready for the day when the US faces bankruptcy or at least the inability to borrow to finance its growing military machine.

With the US military already over-extended in Iraq and the prospect of significant new military entanglements around the globe in the years just ahead, I would wait for the US to get even more bogged down militarily and with budget deficits even more out of control.

Then as the US, unable to borrow sufficiently to maintain its posture in the world, is forced to bring its forces home and mothball its massive fleets, THEN destroy its spy and navigation satellites while simultaneously launching Chinese replacements.

Now, before speculating on just what is this mysterious new US spy project, lets recall a few other happenings in the US-military-space strategery:

Cancellation of the ABM treaty and beginning installation a missile defense system in Alaska.
Ongoing programs to develop and improve robotic drone aircraft for surveilance and attack.
Programs to develop robotic drone tanks for the battle field of the future.
Programs to develop battlefield bots. | more
Nuclear bunker buster development program.
Cancellation of the shuttle program, announcing a new moon-mars mission.

Now lets look and see what's already being speculated:

Senators condemn mystery spy project

Critics Say Mysterious New U.S. Spy Program Endangers National Security

China's Space Wars by Frederick W. Stakelbeck Jr

Perhaps the new project includes the full integration of the systems mentioned above so that the assets and resources of the all the systems can be operated as if they were not separate systems, plus the means to defend the systems' assets in space. Imagine an operator at a console being able to pan through satellite and other reconnaissance imagery as they can today but also if they wish, to magnify images beyond the satellite's capability to view a human face or a licence plate. A simple click of the mouse could automatically deploy the needed drone in that region of the world for near instant availability of that high resolution capability. If the operator wishes strike capability he could order it up with a mouse-click, automatically deploying the appropriate asset and seeking strike authorization from the appropriate chain of command. Similarly, with robotic drones of all kinds and sizes deployed around the globe and integrated into one system, surveillance and monitoring capability will be deployable everywhere on and above earth.

Imagine a tiny robotic helicopter drone flying undetected on a moments notice to deposit a listening device in a remote Pakistani village. Imagine that same flying drone depositing a robotic insect-like listening device capable of crawling into rooms or tents, listening for awhile, then returning to its mother-craft, the miniature helicopter drone, which itself would then return to its mother-craft, which might be a ship, a tank or a full-sized manned aircraft.

This system would be very dependent on space assets like communication and navigation satellites, and its usefullness would be as vulnerable as these space assets are. So the US needs to guarantee significant advantages for itself in Functional Area 40 (near earth space) for the forseeable future.

So it seems reasonable to speculate that the US intends to develop and deploy the capability of defending its assets in Area 40. This would necessarily involve detailed monitoring of every foreign space asset with the ability to neutralize any that are deemed a threat to US space assets. Would this include manned space-fighter aircraft and any necessary support architecture? Perhaps. If so, the proposed and megerly funded moon/mars initiative could serve as cover for the massive aerospace-industry activity needed to create it. But realistically, manned space-fighters are likely just space fantasies for now and seem unnecessary anyway...

...The really useful utility of the National Missile Defense System currently being installed in Alaska may actually be destruction of enemy satellites and defense of our own satellites.

Clearly we (the US) are militarily capable of achieving these goals long before any other coalition of nations could even attempt it, but will our budget deficits cut us off at the knees just as this dream/nightmare is within our grasp? If we succeed both economically and militarily, what way of life will we bequeath to our children?

Who knows, when the technology trickles down to become commercial products for everyone's kitchen and backyard, it may become a wonderful world with robotic servants at our beck and call? Of course our servants may be another man's master. One thing is certain, this planet won't get boring anytime time soon......or will it?