According to the report, the United States should anticipate attacks against U.S. and allied space systems in future conflicts. For this reason, the Department of Defense plans to sustain and improve capabilities to monitor activities in space and to deploy space systems with ensured survivability. At the same time, the report declared that "DOD must have capabilities to deny an adversary's use of space systems to support hostile military forces." In making this case, administration officials have frequently cited historical precedent. For example, as European commerce began to expand to other regions of the world in earlier centuries, the opening of new trade routes and establishment of overseas outposts were initially undertaken by ostensibly private enterprises, such as the British East India Company. However, the European powers eventually found it necessary to create large navies and expeditionary forces to protect the sea lanes as well as the foreign holdings of their merchants. In other words, the flag followed trade. Moreover, conflicts between the great powers that arose from predominantly local disputes frequently entailed clashes among rival military forces at sea and in territories far removed from European shores. In the same manner, national security officials contend, future conflicts on the Earth's surface will inevitably entail attempts to disrupt the new "lines of communication" in space. And, just as navies were called upon to protect the sea lines of communication, the military has a role in protecting the space lines of communication.

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Klotz, Frank G. Space, Commerce, and National Security. Washington, D.C.: Council on Foreign Relations, January 1999. [ 12 quotes ] [ page 11 ]