Download Deterrence Decades Hence

THE MILITARY MISSION IN SPACE
"Certainly our principal deterrent will be in space . . ."
Deterrence Decades Hence
• Offense
• Defense
• Reconnaissance
• Navigation
• Meteorology
• Communications
LT. GEN. JAMES H. DOOLITTLE, USAF (RET.)
E CANNOT deal with the military mission in space without considering:
What is the military mission as a
whole?
This is a question difficult to answer. I will try
to answer it in a brief, oversimplified way and
say that the military mission is, first, to deter war
and, second, to support our national policy.
I know that there is much more to it than that,
but again I . think that basic answer serves to at
least partially set the stage. We realize that the
Soviets respect only strength; therefore, we must
be and remain militarily strong.
We must have the strength to deter aggression.
For the past decade the long-range bombers and
nuclear weapons of the Strategic Air Command
have been our principal deterrent and they have
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maintained the peace. For the next decade they
and our long-range missiles again will be our principal deterrent.
Now, how about the more distant future after
the next decade?
Certainly, our principal deterrent will be in
space. I would like to mention some obvious space
missions.
First, offensive systems, strategic systems to deter or deal with all-out war. First, missiles, next,
Dyna-Soar, and next—it is hard to know exactly
what, but certainly something. Even the tactical
mission may have a place in space or, rather,
space may have a place in the tactical mission—
where we deter or deal with limited wars and
certainly must have smaller and more selective
weapons to do the job.
SPACE DIGEST / DECEMBER
"
Second, defensive systems to minimize the
my's offensive capability by protecting oures from it.
Third, reconnaissance systems.
Fourth, navigational systems.
Fifth, meteorological systems.
Sixth, communications systems.
The last three—navigation, meteorological, and
munications systems—all have important civil
lications. In fact, almost every device that is
veloped for military purposes has a direct or
irect civil application.
The communications satellite in particular will
vide more reliable, more secure, and more
c omical global communications.
We hope that improved communications will
lp create better understanding between nations.
The Soviet objective is to communize and domite the world. They have a long-range, conent, and flexible plan, aimed at that objective.
rtainly, we cannot deal only with all-out war.
must consider other methods of Soviet cont and how they may be dealt with in space.
The question that people, particularly those of
us who have been in the military, are most often
sked is this:
What is the likelihood of an all-out nuclear conffict with the Soviets?
My opinion is that the likelihood is remote,
provided we remain militarily strong. Should we
come weak enough so that they felt that they
d achieve their objective of world communizaand world domination through a military
p without unacceptable damage to themselves,
k war would then become very likely.
other words, military strength deters war.
akness on our part would surely lead to all-out
, but it is not enough, as I said, to deter war.
erring all-out war is our first obligation, but
have additional obligations.
irst, we must deal with local wars. We must
them with mobility on land, sea, and air,
weapons that are small, powerful, and ecoical.
Next, we must prohibit infiltration and subvern.
Next, we must counter exploitation. The tendy of the Soviet is to foment discord, promote
*fe, and then fill the vacuum. Certainly, we
st use propaganda that will help us woo the
ommitted nations and the weakly committed
oils.
The Soviet Union is doing a good job of propa-
da and they have chosen space as the arena in
ACE DIGEST / DECEMBER 1960
which to do so. Certainly, propaganda has serious
military, political, and economic implications.
Next, we must face up to the technological conflict. We must have an adequate educational system, which I do not believe we presently have.
We must improve or increase our stockpile of fundamental knowledge. We must do more basic research. We must excel in science if we are to lead
in technology.
Last, the economic conflict. The Soviets are
getting their house in order in order to win the
economic conflict. They are developing their heavy
industry, power, and communications.
I was in Russia last year and at Yalta I saw
a sign which showed a Russian with a hammer and
an American capitalist with a diamond in his
navel. The caption was, "By 1965 the Soviet bloc
will produce more than half of the total production of the world."
In other words, their objective, which I am sure
they will not achieve, is for the Soviet bloc to
produce within five years more than the rest of
the world put together.
They are improving their standard of living,
getting better housing, getting some consumer
goods. You may recall that Khrushchev has stated
that within ten years, by 1970, the Communist
citizen will be the most contented citizen in the
world.
This, I am satisfied they will not achieve. But
we certainly have to see that they do not, and it
will take a certain effort on our part.
They are entering world trade and they will
be tough. They can break any market and they
will certainly carry out the economic conflict to
the end.
It may seem that I have gone far afield. I do
not feel that I have, because I feel that it is not
adequate in this day and age to deal simply with
deterrent power. Our military power must be tied
to our economic power, and all must be tied to
our moral power and to our willingness to win
and to work if we are properly to exploit the space
potential.—END
•
One of America's leading airmen, General Doolittle has had distinguished careers in military and
civil aviation. Holder of a doctorate of science
from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he is
a member of the President's Science Advisory
Committee, and board chairman of STL.
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