America’s ‘clear and compelling’ need to seize the ‘High Frontier’

In his acceptance speech, Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump highlighted two significant initiatives for America’s future national security: establishment of a United State Space Force, created during his Presidency, and the need for a strategic defense system to shield the homeland from missile attacks.  Taken together they constitute a clear, compelling and urgent objective for America to seize the ultimate “High Frontier.”

A combined and integrated space superiority and missile defense system will ensure the United States controls the high frontier to protect against attacks by China and Russia today and into the future.

Russia and China have boldly and systematically pursued space dominance.  From the Chinese testing our defense networks by flying high altitude surveillance balloons over the United States and actively threatening U.S. assets in space, to Russian anti-satellite (ASAT) testing and cyber interference in satellite communications in Ukraine, these two increasingly aggressive challengers clearly regard space as the next arena for leverage and strategic advantage.

It is time for the United States to seize the high frontier. We have the lead today, but without a focused and concerted effort that lead can vanish.

There will be impediments to success.  Ronald Reagan faced obstacles to the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in his quest to render nuclear weapons obsolete.  The institutional military generally opposed the cost of a strategic defense system and questioned its efficacy, the institutional arms control community were opposed in deference to the existing Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty and the Democrat Congress opposed SDI for both reasons. Yet President Reagan persisted, and even though SDI was never fully deployed, it was a major factor in ending the Cold War and laid a strong foundation for today’s operational missile defense capability.

Today American military power across the world, depends on space capability; air and sea power in Asia; conventional forces in Europe; and our Marine and Special Force units in the Middle East. Our adversaries know this as well and are developing the means to disable and destroy U.S. space assets.

Opposition to investing in space superiority and ballistic missile defense capabilities will be fierce with objections to the cost of new force components and technologies, and with concerns about the potential for “destabilization” arising from the “weaponization of space”. All these objections must be rejected.  Deterrence demands credible and demonstrated defensive and offensive superiority, and arms control only adds to US security when completely verifiable and enforceable.  Notably, neither China nor Russia have shown the slightest interest in space arms control, and they won’t until the United States has tested and deployed dominant space forces.

Achieving this goal in four years will be hard and hard fought.

President Trump will need three critical elements for a chance of success: a fearless leader, the lessons from Operation Warp Speed, and most importantly, his personal attention.

Leaders like Adm. Hyman Rickover, Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, Wernher von Braun, and Gen. Benard Shriver, all had what was essential to wrestle a muscular bureaucracy. They had a deadline with incredible consequences for being second. They were leaders with deep technical knowledge, clear purpose and an ability to harness varied talent. Trump will need to identify and enlist a team of high intellect, courageous individuals to lead Project High Frontier.

Next, the lessons from Operation Warp Speed must be absorbed:  Business as usual won’t work, risks must be taken, and faster, cheaper, better performance must be the rule. At every step, changes to cost, performance and schedule must be ruthlessly questioned and weighed. Effectiveness must triumph over perfection.

Finally, these new High Frontier capabilities should be designed, developed, tested, deployed and managed by a single integrated organization and leverage allied capabilities to strengthen and expand its capabilities.

As President Ronald Reagan said, “We will never be an aggressor. We maintain our strength to deter and defend against aggression – to preserve freedom and peace” Today we have an opportunity to seize the High Frontier, for our security and that of our allies, for free and safe space passage, for human exploration and commerce and ultimately for peace.

Dr. Mark Albrecht, former Executive Secretary of the National Space Council

Lt. Gen. Trey Obering (U.S.  Air Force, ret.), former Director, U.S. Missile Defense Agency

Hon. Mira Ricardel, former Deputy National Security Advisor

Dr. William Schneider, former Chairman, Defense Science Board

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