WASHINGTON - If there were any doubts that the United States is preparing for war in space and cyberspace, testimony before the House Armed Services subcommittee on strategic forces last week would have wiped them away.
General Kevin P. Chilton, head of US Strategic Command, said, "Our adversaries understand our dependence upon space-based capabilities, and we must be ready to detect, track, characterize, attribute, predict, and respond to any threat to our space infrastructure."
Although space threats have received much attention in the past, it was the possibility of cyberspace warfare that was given new emphasis at the hearing.
Chilton described cyberspace as an "emerging war-fighting domain." He said that "potential adversaries recognize the US reliance on . . . [its] use and constantly probe our networks seeking competitive advantage," providing the reasons for developing defensive and offensive systems in this area.
US cyberspace, in Pentagon terms called the Global Information Grid, serves as "a conduit that links human activity and facilitates the exchange of information," Chilton said.
Michael G. Vickers, assistant secretary of defense for special operations, low-intensity conflict, and interdependent capabilities, who also testified, told the panel: "Threats to our computer networks are real and growing," and attacks and attempted intrusions come "on a daily basis."
Here are a few of the units that Chilton said have been enlisted to prepare for cyberspace battles:
Chilton and Vickers both pushed for "prompt global strike" capability. That refers to an intercontinental ballistic missile with a conventional warhead or another type of delivery system that could reach anywhere in the world within an hour, programs that are being researched today.
