US Retain Stability in Post-Kurdish Referendum Iraq

April 2018 No Comments

Question (R6.8): What is the role of the United States and coalition partners in maintaining stability as Iran, Iraq, Turkey, as other groups grapple with the Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum? Authors | Editors: Aviles, W. (NSI, Inc.) Overview Since the controversial September referendum for Iraqi Kurdish independence, the political stability of the Kurdistan Regional Government […]

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Enforcement as Verification, and the Problem of Dual-Use

April 2018 No Comments

[Q21] What can the US do to best facilitate development of verifiable norms that maintain a peaceful space domain? Authors: Dr. Larry Kuznar (NSI, Inc.) and Dr. John Stevenson (NSI, Inc.) Summary Response This report describes expert views on the existence and non-existence of space norms and the challenges and opportunities norms represent for peaceful […]

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Governing in a Crowded Space – The Legal Regime for Space

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[Q19] What international legal codes or norms are needed to govern the increasingly crowded space domain? [Q23] Fifty years of space has seen much change. Which aspects of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 are still valid and which need updating? Is it better to add to/amend the 1967 Treaty or to establish a new […]

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Exploring the Economic Effects of Conflict in Space

March 2018 No Comments

[Q5] Is it possible to realistically quantify the economic impact of warfighting events in space (e.g., increase in insurance costs for commercial satellites, stock market perturbations of a space attack, change in consumer behavior due to disruption of communication or PNT services)? Author: Weston Aviles (NSI, Inc.) Summary Response This report captures the input of […]

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Space-Based Missile Defense: Still Grounded

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SMA hosted a speaker session with Theresa Hitchens (Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland [CISSM]) as part of its SMA Contested Space Operations: Space Defense, Deterrence, and Warfighting (Space) Speaker Series. Date: 29 March 2018 Speaker Session Preview SMA hosted a speaker session presented by Ms. Theresa Hitchens (Center for International and Security […]

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Int’l Rules / Norms: Constraints on Space Operations

March 2018 No Comments

[Q20] What are the current international agreements, treaties, conventions, etc., governing the use of space, and what specific limitations and constraints are placed on space operations? Author: Dr. Belinda Bragg (NSI, Inc.) Summary Response The expert contributors identified 26 separate international agreements, treaties, and resolutions (legal codes) that have implications for space operations (Figure 1). […]

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Commercial Companies’ Perceptions of Security Space

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[Q6] How do commercial ventures think about the security of their space assets during peacetime, crisis and conflict? Do industry leaders think about warfare in or through space differently than military leaders? What are their main concerns? How reliant are they on governments for warning or protection of space? What are their threat priorities? Author(s): […]

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Pre-Space Age Approaches to Military Capabilities

March 2018 No Comments

[Q15] What insight on current space operations can we gain from understanding the approaches used for surveillance, reconnaissance, navigation, communication, timing synchronization, and indications and warnings before the advent of the space age? Author(s): George Popp (NSI, Inc.) Summary Response This report summarizes the input of 13 insightful responses contributed by space experts from National […]

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Alleviating US-Iran Tensions

March 2018 No Comments

Question (R4.6): What are the competing national interests of the United States and Iran in the Middle East and what are the options for alleviating United States / Iranian tensions to mutual satisfaction and improved regional stability? Author | Editor: Astorino-Courtois, A. (NSI, Inc). Executive Summary The US and Iran have the same types of […]

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Promoting greater stability in post-ISIL Iraq, Volume 1

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Promoting greater stability in post-ISIL Iraq, Volume 1: Analysis of the drivers of legitimacy, security, and social accord for key Iraqi stakeholders. Author | Editor: Bragg, B., & Polansky (Pagano), S. (NSI, Inc.) Executive Summary United States Central Command (CENTCOM) posed the following question to the Strategic Multi-layer Assessment (SMA) virtual reach back cell: What […]

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