The future battlefield - in space

Brigadier General (res.) Haim Ashad reviews the future battlefield in space and Israel's place in the struggle for space technologies

Already 2,500 years ago it was known that there were two planes of combat - on land and at sea. At the beginning of the 20th century, the third plane of combat was added - the air - with the help of fighter planes and heavy bombers. Now, claims Haim Ashad in his recent speech at the Technion, we are witnessing the beginning of an era in which a fourth dimension is added to war - the dimension of space.

Brigadier General (res.) Haim Ashad heads the directorate in the Ministry of Defense responsible for Israel's defense space program since its inception. He promotes the issue of space in the Knesset and works continuously to promote the involvement of the civilian market in Israel in the space channel. Israel is a small country with its own security challenges, and Ashad is convinced that space is an important part of solving Israel's security and economic problems.

"Concepts of peace and war have become more and more dependent on the capability of the spacecraft," explains Ashad, "Since the first Gulf War, and also a little before it, the Americans began to develop a theory of combat based on the delay in space, followed by other countries such as Israel. The connection between the space power of the USA and its position, can teach about Israel's regional position according to its strength in space."

Space, according to Ashad, is no longer used as an empty space through which satellites and information move. Today's space makes it possible to use military power in new ways previously unknown. and serves as a new and important arena for fighting and defense. The space gives the generals and the leadership a wide view of the entire battlefield and the possibility to collect information, transfer it from one place to another and prevent the enemy from obtaining it in real time. And Israel, despite its size, is defined as the fifth most advanced power in the world in space technology.

"We saw how the Americans managed the war in Iraq from Washington and Fort Knox. With the help of information collected from space, it is also possible to achieve high-precision navigation", says Ashad, "an American satellite, for example, gives an accuracy of 25 cm. I can't say what numbers we reach, but the Americans want systems from us. It's a measure of our ability in space."

The current conception is that staying in space allows for more effective fighting, and in addition provides 'peace of mind' for the country. The ability to observe potential adversaries often increases the ability of countries to understand the real threat they face from each other, and it has already been claimed that going into space is what prevented nuclear war between the USA and the USSR.

"In my opinion, in the coming years our satellites will be among the hits in the world. Our satellite does with 400 kilos what an American or European satellite does with 1.5 tons", estimates Ashad, "Establishing a satellite infrastructure - and it doesn't matter if civilian or military - improves the situation in the State of Israel in terms of national security, and also maintains Israel as a regional power. "

Despite the optimistic forecast, Ashad makes sure to qualify his words and make it clear that technological capability in space does not necessarily translate into operational capability on the battlefield, as was revealed in the last war.

"The technological changes received as a result of the use of space allow the available use of tremendous power. We increased the range, accuracy and firepower and achieved a sophisticated targeting and control system. But all this only multiplies strength, and it is important that we be good in all other things as well", says Ashad.

"Space technology should be a deterrent in which the strong scare the weak. But what happened was that the weak found a trick, developed the terror and went underground. As soon as ground force is activated, everyone hiding in their holes comes out." At this point the space system can come into action, but Ashad emphasizes again that, "all the existing elements are needed!"

Eshad concludes that space is a never-ending source of scientific and economic, as well as military and social advantages, on the shoulders of which the State of Israel is carried into the 21st century. Space provides the basis and avenues of application for all possible paths "...starting with survival, through the military, the economy and all in education The space capacity, in my opinion, provides everything."

War in space - soon in the sky above our heads