Volume 27 Issue 5, Sep-Oct 2013 Published Sept. 1, 2013 Air & Space Power Journal, Air University Senior Leader Perspective Military Space: At a Strategic Crossroad Gen William L. Shelton, USAF Our nation’s military satellites provide game-changing capabilities for our joint forces and serve as vital links in the global economy. The future of space capabilities in the United States Air Force is at a strategic crossroad—one that requires us... Space Acquisition Issues in 2013 Lt Gen Ellen M. Pawlikowski, USAF This article examines the past, present, and future states of military space acquisitions for the United States. The space environment in which we currently operate is congested, contested, and competitive. Lieutenant General Pawlikowski details... The Importance of Designating Cyberspace Weapons Systems Brig Gen Robert J. Skinner, USAF In March 2013, the US Air Force officially designated six cyberspace weapon systems under Air Force Space Command. The Air Force has mastered the ability to apply global reach, power, and vigilance across the domains of air and space and now applies... Feature Articles Space Superiority, Down to the Nanosecond: Why the Global Positioning System Remains Essential to Modern Warfare Col Bernard J. Gruber, USAF / Col Jon M. Anderson, USAF The Global Positioning System (GPS), provided free of charge by the United States Air Force and acquired and operated by Air Force Space Command, is a national asset. A tangible symbol of US economic and military might and a system unmatched in... The Importance of Maintaining Space Situational Awareness and Taking It to the Next Level Col Mark A. Baird, USAF Both economically and militarily, the nation’s dependence on space has grown exponentially since the Cold War. US space and ground-based assets, which have become vital to the projection of both airpower and sea power, must be preserved in the... Air Force Cyber Warfare: Now and the Future Col William J. Poirier, USAF / Maj James Lotspeich, PhD, USAF Cyberspace is a relatively new and maturing war-fighting domain. The activation of US Cyber Command in 2009, for example, represented a significant step in the evolution of military thinking regarding the domain. As Air Force cyberspace forces rise... Ira C. Eaker Award Winners Congratulations to this year’s winners! The award honors airpower pioneer Gen Ira C. Eaker and is made possible through the generous support of the Air University Foundation. If you would like to compete for the Ira C. Eaker Award, submit a... Historical Highlights Why Are We in Space? Neil P. Ruzic Had Columbus speculated on the future he might have envisioned bigger, faster sailing ships or even ships with-out sails, headed straight across the ocean sea. But they would have remained boats. a less conservative contemporary, Leonardo da Vinci,... Download Full Edition