Space Power and Homeland Security: Is NORTHCOM Leveraging Every Tool in the Arsenal

As a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. government established the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM). Working in partnership, they are tasked to defend against terrorism and respond to civil emergencies and natural disasters. Space forces can fill...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Crosier, Clinton E.
Other Authors: NAVAL WAR COLL NEWPORT RI JOINT MILITARY OPERATIONS DEPT
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 2004
Subjects:
Military Operations
Strategy and Tactics
Unmanned Spacecraft
Military Intelligence
*MILITARY CAPABILITIES
*SPACE BASED
CIVIL DEFENSE
SPACE SURVEILLANCE
INTEGRATION
SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
DEFENSE PLANNING
RECONNAISSANCE SATELLITES
HOMELAND DEFENSE
HOMELAND SECURITY
SATELLITE CONSTELLATIONS
NORTHCOM
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA425996
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA425996
Description
Summary:As a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. government established the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM). Working in partnership, they are tasked to defend against terrorism and respond to civil emergencies and natural disasters. Space forces can fill critical capability gaps and provide key mission enhancements in NORTHCOM's Homeland Defense (HD) and Civil Support (CS) missions. However, integrating space assets into operations is a powerful capability that has not been fully leveraged, primarily due to NORTHCOM/DHS's lack of understanding of space capabilities and how to exploit them. A striking parallel exists between the current lack of space integration within DHS/NORTHCOM and the lack of space integration within supported combatant commands in DoD prior to Desert Storm. Desert Storm was a turning point that demonstrated the need for deliberate integration of space forces into operational planning. Similarly, the events of 9/11 and the heightened priority of HD/CS missions underscore the need for space integration within DHS/NORTHCOM. Using DoD's post-Desert Storm corrective space integration efforts as a model, NORTHCOM should initiate a deliberate space integration program to maximize effectiveness in executing HD/CS missions.

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