No nation relies on space more than the United States -- none is even close -- and its reliance grows daily. A widespread loss of space capabilities would prove disastrous for American military security and civilian welfare. America's economy would collapse, bringing the rest of the world down with it. Its military would be obliged to hunker down in a defensive crouch while it prepared to withdraw from dozens of then-untenable foreign deployments. To prevent such disasters from occurring, the United States military -- in particular the United States Air Force—is charged with protecting space capabilities from harm and ensuring reliable space operations for the foreseeable future. As a martial organization, the Air Force naturally looks to military means to achieve these desired ends. And so it should.

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Dolman, Everett C. "U.S. Military Transformation and Weapons in Space." SAIS Review. XXVI, No. 1 (Winter-Spring 2006): 163-174. [ 10 quotes ] [ page 163 ]