Are US, Israel racing to deploy space-based lasers or orbital weapons first? - analysis
Some have already speculated that Israel could destroy enemy space satellites using the Arrow 3 missile system, given that it already strikes ballistic missiles in space.
In September, two top US military officials confirmed for the first time that the United States has deployed offensive weapons in space. This revelation has sparked speculation about the nature of these weapons, with three primary options under consideration: directed-energy weapons (lasers), kinetic anti-satellite weapons (missiles), and platforms for disrupting or disabling satellites without destroying them (rendezvous and proximity operations, or RPOs).
A fourth option, nuclear weapons, is believed to have been excluded due to the destructive consequences for the attacker as well as the defender.
In April, Israeli Lt.-Col. S and space war expert Tal Inbar discussed Israel's efforts to protect its space assets from adversaries. On June 24, IDF Brig.-Gen. Yael Grosman reiterated that there are threats from space, and Israel is working with the Defense Ministry and broader defense establishment to address these threats.
Experts are currently leaning toward category 3 RPOs as the US's current focus, primarily due to their existing history and the lack of debris issues compared to kinetic anti-satellite weapons. RPOs have been used since the 1960s for satellite repairs, and the technological jump to deploying RPOs to match another satellite's orbit and deploy additional systems is considered a relatively straightforward process.
However, RPOs might be favored over lasers due to the complex physics and engineering challenges involved, making them a longer-term goal rather than an immediate solution.
Despite the focus on RPOs, Israel has been more vocal about its space laser ambitions. Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on June 29 that Israel is developing space lasers to carry out attacks above Earth, positioning the country as the leading player in space attack capabilities. Katz emphasized the potential advantages in deterrence and attack capabilities, particularly in comparison to Iran.
While Israel has developed the Iron Beam for land-based use, there is speculation about the deployment of fighter-jet-based lasers. However, the US and other nations are likely to prioritize immediate solutions, such as RPOs, over the longer-term goal of space lasers.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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