The Air Force is putting increased emphasis on research into directed energy for both offensive and defensive purposes. Colonel Gail Wojtowicz, chief of the Air Force future concepts and transformation directorate, told an October 11, 2005, conference sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute: "Directed energy is the next weapons race," stressing the service’s "big push" to pursue such technologies. Furthermore, the 2003 Transformation Flight Plan notes a "recently completed Directed Energy Master Plan" that "articulates a strategy to develop and transition directed energy applications such as . . . space superiority and ballistic missile defense." The Transformation Flight Plan outlines directed-energy technologies to attack satellites, including ground- and space-based lasers, relay mirrors, and radio-frequency weapons.

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Lewis, Jeffrey, Michael Katz-Hyman et al. "U.S. Space Weapons: Big Intentions, Little Focus." Non Proliferation Review. Vol. 13, No. 1 (March 2006): 35-56. [ 5 quotes ] [ page 40 ]