Mastering the Ultimate High Ground: Next Steps in the Military Uses of Space

by Benjamin S. Lambeth

Assesses the military space challenges facing the Air Force and the nation in light of the findings and recommendations of the Space Commission. The author reviews the Air Force's involvement in space since its creation as an independent service in 1947; examines the circumstances that occasioned the commission's creation and the conceptual and organizational roadblocks that have impeded a more rapid growth of U.S. military space capability; and enumerates the challenges facing the Air Force with respect to space.

Genres: Space

193 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 1999

Reviews

[Nate Huston]

Though some of the policy analysis feels somewhat dated (the book was published a decade ago), the recommendations and areas for further exploration persist and therefore are still important considerations. Perhaps most important from a DoD perspective is Lambeth's discussion regarding the risk of space investment impinging on traditional, air-breathing capabilities of the Air Force. Organization and future objectives are still works in progress with regard to space. Lambeth believes strongly that space and space capabilities should remain separate, as opposed to considering them as parts of a continuum, as the Air Force was wont to do early on in the "aerospace" days.

One note I disagreed with regarding Lambeth's ideas on the future of space was his recommendation of a dual focus both on space control and moving more force-enhancement capabilities there. Though he rightly couches his recommendation, saying that "just because a C4ISR mission can be performed from space does not necessarily mean that it should be," (p 156) stating that the vulnerabilities of space require more control capability does not support an argument to further rely on space for C4ISR capabilities.