| dc.description.abstract | With the rapid development of the three
dimensions of modern warfare (land, air and sea), many
nations have commenced to concern towards space, as
fourth dimension of future warfare. Outer Space is
considered globally for deployment of weapons: both
offensive and defensive. Militarisation of outer space
would be an opportunity, for developed countries like US,
China and Russia but would be a huge challenge for many
under developed countries like Sri Lanka. At present there
is a debate at United Nations level, whether outer space
should be weaponised, only allowed to placement of
defensive weapons, or kept free from all type of weapons.
Presently, there are approximately sixty countries that are
active in utilizing space for various purposes. The country
which controls space has a real time presence and
persistence over the globe with a definite edge and
dominance in the battlefield as well. The future battle field
will be very unimaginable without an effective interface
from space-based technology. Space based assets can be
used indirectly and directly, and targeting an adversary’s
space assets through anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons could
be a key feature of future warfare. ASAT weapons,
Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) would be considerable
trends of space militarisation. Successful military
operations on ground, air and sea would depend heavily
on how efficiently space resources are exploited. | |
