EMERGING SPACE SECURITY DILEMMA: IMPLICATIONS FOR GLOBAL SECURITY

Abstract

Outer space, once considered a frontier of peaceful scientific exploration and international cooperation, has undergone a dramatic transformation. Space-based military technologies are re-emerging as central elements of contemporary strategic competition. The weaponisation of outer space is no longer a hypothetical concern but an increasingly evident reality shaping the global security environment. States are developing and testing systems that can strike from orbit, jam or blind enemy satellites, and defeat traditional missile defence systems. These include anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, Fractional Orbital Bombardment Systems (FOBS), space-based missile defence architectures, and directed-energy weapons.The continuous militarisation leading to weaponisation of outer space—driven primarily by the United States’ quest for space superiority — is generating serious risks of escalation, accidental conflict, and space debris. The article argues that while the US frames these developments as defensive, its actions have pushed China and Russia to develop orbital countermeasures to bolster their own defensive and deterrent capabilities. The article concludes that without an updated space governance mechanism and new verification regimes, the integration of orbital strike capabilities into military doctrines risks accelerating arms competition in space and increasing the likelihood of miscalculation due to less decision-making time and inadvertent escalation in future crises.

Bibliography Entry

Arif, Misbah. 2026. "Emerging Space Security Dilemma: Implications for Global Security." Strategic Thought (7): 81-96.