{"product_id":"fight-for-the-final-frontier-2023","title":"Fight for the Final Frontier: Irregular Warfare in Space (2023)","description":"\u003ch4\u003eOverview\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSelected for the US Space Com 2024 Commander's Reading List\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSelected for USSF's National Security Space Institute 2024 Space Professional Reading List\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinner of the 2023 Air Force Historical Foundation Space History Book Award\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003euses the concepts associated with irregular warfare to offer new insights for understanding the nature of strategic competition in space. Today’s most pressing security concerns are best considered using an irregular warfare lens because incidents and points of potential conflict fall outside the definition of armed conflict. While some universal rules of combat apply across all domains, conflict in space up-ends and flips those assumed standards of understanding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJohn Klein provides a solution to reckoning with the many malicious, nefarious, and irresponsible behaviors in the space domain by using the irregular warfare framework. This offers a new paradigm through which one can view and study conflict, outside traditional combat, involving state and non-state actors. A “war” in space will be utterly unlike any that have happened on Earth, though scholars can provide lessons from past conflict to understand the flashpoints in the heavens.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProviding the needed foundational understanding,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emakes the case that irregular warfare in the space domain is shaped by the fundamental nature of all warfare, along with universal principles of strategy and the essential unity of all strategic experience. Going one step further, John Klein outlines the new arenas for battle, new areas of conflict and competition, and the necessary concepts for operating in this bold new frontier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eJohn Klein\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDr. John J. Klein is a senior fellow and strategist with Falcon Research, Inc., and also instructs space policy and strategy courses in the Washington, D.C. area at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate levels. He writes on space policy, strategy, and deterrence. Dr. Klein is a retired U.S. Navy commander.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eAdditional Information\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFormat: Hardcover\u003cbr\u003ePages: 264 pages\u003cbr\u003eIllustrations: 2 figures\u003cbr\u003ePublished: September 15, 2023\u003cbr\u003eISBN-10: 155750735X\u003cbr\u003eISBN-13: 9781557507358\u003cbr\u003eProduct Dimensions: 9 × 6 × 1 in\u003cbr\u003eProduct Weight: 16 oz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e“\u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eshould be required reading across the professional military education community. The application of irregular warfare theory is a fresh perspective to view the current and evolving conflict in space.”—\u003cstrong\u003eMike Fowler, Associate Professor of Military and Strategic Studies, editor of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eMilitary Strategy\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eJoint Operation\u003c\/em\u003es,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eand Airpower\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\"Klein consults and teaches space policy and strategy. War in space is unique because of the characteristics of the domain. Still, since conflict is a duel between humans, there are strategic insights—from Sun Tzu to Clausewitz to Mahan—that can be applied (with caution) to the space domain. Conflict in space is likely to be long, indecisive, messy, and very political. Klein's praiseworthy effort to apply irregular war theory to space is especially useful and valuable. Concepts like hybrid warfare, protracted operations, lawfare, attrition, terrorism, friction, deception, cumulative strategies, non-state actors, dispersal, coordination, maneuver, and surprise are critically important. If the book has any shortcomings, it is downplaying the unique characteristics and geography of space operations—things like gravity wells, constant movement, the energy requirements to shift from one orbit to another, and potential choke points in Celestial Lines of Communication, similar to those in Sea Lines of Communication. Perhaps Klein's next book can expand on these issues. Strategy is important. Logistics is the foundation that makes it possible, especially in space. But what Klein does, he does very well. An excellent contribution. Highly Recommended\"\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—Choice\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\"Klein has made convincing arguments throughout. In what is a nascent but growing pool of academic literature,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis accessible to current military strategists and will help place space warfare thinking in the minds of multidomain planners. Overall,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003epresents a good thesis. It deserves a place as essential reading for any military member engaged in professional military education or indeed any staff charged with operations, strategy, or capability development.\" —\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAir \u0026amp; Space Power Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\"Klein equips strategists with the necessary background to ensure strategic space access and to counter irregular warfare in space. The book is well-written, rich in theory, and well-sourced. Readers will learn a great deal from Klein’s overview of the many issues associated with space policy and irregular warfare. Indeed, one gets the impression that each chapter, even sub-sections, could in themselves constitute entire books.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emay prod scholars to start writing.\" —\u003cstrong\u003eAmerican University's Center for Security Innovation and New Technology\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\"If you want to understand the national security space domain, John Klein's new tome is a must. He is one of the most insightful strategic thinks on this issue in a generation.”—\u003cstrong\u003eJo-Anne Sears, Partner at Velocity Government Relations\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\"Klein's\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a catalyst for future research into space warfighting. Although irregular space warfighting literature requires theoretical and empirical refinements, \"the fact that irregular warfare and competitive actions in space are already everyday occurrences is not widely recognized at present\" (p. 46). Klein's monograph draws attention to this neglected research area and will spring­board future discussions on how conflict in space may unfold. The text is invaluable to those developing and safeguarding space capabilities given the broad yet engaging overview of competition in space. Those involved in threat analysis and response planning will find the text an important resource for modelling the actors, threats, and dynamics inherent to space technologies and their use as a tool for strategic competition. Broadly speaking, any warfighter interested in emerging trends in war­fare will be provided invaluable situation awareness of celestial battlespaces.\" —\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDefence Studies\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\"At times, \u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier\u003c\/em\u003e reads more like a survey of strategy and irregular warfare than a deep dive into space warfare itself. It is a valuable overview and is useful for those Guardians (or civilians) lacking the theoretical framework for considering what conflict in space could well look like, but it feels as though space is a conceptual add-on, rather than a distinct concept. While Klein does cover some elements unique to warfare in space, such as the aforementioned RPO, satellite jamming or blinding, and intentional debris creating events, the preponderance of the discussion is not terribly different than irregular warfare on-the-ground. This is, ironically, the core value and strength of the book. Klein returns the discussion of space warfare back to a more terrestrial playing field. Warfare in space is certainly governed by unique orbital dynamics and complex physics, but it is — as he shows — not terribly different than warfare (irregular or otherwise) from that on Earth. Here, Klein’s book is a valuable step in the process of normalizing conflict in space, at least at a conceptual level. Demystifying space as an operational domain is invaluable if policymakers — both civilian and military — are to understand the role space plays in war and take necessary offensive and defensive measures.  For America’s Space Force Guardians and their counterparts in emerging allied services, such as in Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom, \u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier\u003c\/em\u003e provides an intellectual framework for understanding that the fight on orbit is merely a zero-gravity version of Carl (and Marie) von Clausewitz’s timeless dictums. Amusingly, Klein quotes Douglas Adams’ famous dictum from \u003cem\u003eHitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy\u003c\/em\u003e at the close of his book: “Don’t Panic.” It is a fitting reflection — space warfare is simply warfare.\" —\u003cstrong\u003eNational Security Institute\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\"Klein's\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a catalyst for future research into space warfighting. Although irregular space warfighting literature requires theoretical and empirical refinements, \"the fact that irregular warfare and competitive actions in space are already everyday occurrences is not widely recognized at present\" (p. 46). Klein's monograph draws attention to this neglected research area and will spring­board future discussions on how conflict in space may unfold. The text is invaluable to those developing and safeguarding space capabilities given the broad yet engaging overview of competition in space. Those involved in threat analysis and response planning will find the text an important resource for modelling the actors, threats, and dynamics inherent to space technologies and their use as a tool for strategic competition. Broadly speaking, any warfighter interested in emerging trends in war­fare will be provided invaluable situation awareness of celestial battlespaces.\"—\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDefence Studies\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eplots irregular warfare strategic theories from traditional warfighting domains to space, arguing that established military strategic thought on limited warfare is valid in this newly recognized domain. John Klein, a retired US Navy commander with 22 years of service as a naval flight officer, has written extensively on space strategy and deterrence and is currently an adjunct professor at George Washington University's Space Policy Institute and Georgetown University's Strategic Studies Program. A clearly established academic in the field, Klein builds on his previous work on space strategy to demonstrate how irregular strategies might influence the execution of space warfare by the United States, its Allies, and its partners. Klein has made convincing arguments throughout. In what is a nascent but growing pool of academic literature,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis accessible to current military strategists and will help place space warfare thinking in the minds of multidomain planners. Overall,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003epresents a good thesis. It deserves a place as essential reading for any military member engaged in professional military education or indeed any staff charged with operations, strategy, or capability development.\"—\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAir \u0026amp; Space Operations Review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e“John J. Klein’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFight for the Final Frontier: Irregular Warfare in Space\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ebelongs on every modern decision maker’s bookshelf, whether they are connected to the space domain directly or not. Klein’s ability to weave a framework built around irregular warfare to better explain the challenges faced in space offers a robust way for those who might otherwise not understand to get fully up to speed on a subject that sooner or later will be a focus of national attention. Gleaning the insights from this book should be a priority that could offer critical future insights when it counts.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e— Tuesday Tidings\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"U.S. Naval Institute Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48148410204405,"sku":"9781557507358","price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0090\/5072\/files\/fight-for-the-final-frontier-irregular-warfare-in-space-2023-1238444735.jpg?v=1778790220","url":"https:\/\/www.amnautical.com\/products\/fight-for-the-final-frontier-2023","provider":"American Nautical Services","version":"1.0","type":"link"}