Space and the Right to Self Defense

On July 13th, Hudson Institute hosted a release event for Space and the Right to Self Defense featuring Senator Tom Cotton, Senator Jon Kyl, and retired Army general Charles Jacoby. Hudson Institute Fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs, the study director, moderated the discussion.

For decades, the United States has enjoyed pre-eminent military stature, due in large part to overwhelming technological advantages since World War II. However, the United States has not prioritized maintaining this unrivaled advantage over near-peer competitors like Russia and China, and even rogue states like North Korea and Iran. Investments in missile technology and antisatellite systems have enabled adversarial nations to put critical American targets at risk, from the homeland and deployed forces to space assets.

Hudson Institute hosted a discussion with Senator Kyl and General Jacoby, both members of the study’s Senior Review Group, and Senator Cotton on the study’s recommendation to invest in current missile defense technologies, improve space situational awareness, and move forward on a space-based interceptor layer.