Critics are warning that a directive to move the U.S. nuclear attack early warning operations, known as the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), from its current location within Cheyenne mountain could imperil national security by making the U.S. early warning network more vulnerable to rogue state or terrorist attack.

The RF Defense Ministry has been left with no spy satellite in orbit. The last anchor of Russia's surveillance, US-PU satellite of electronic intelligence, moved down from the orbit at night from Friday to Saturday, as the service life of that satellite, which took off from Baikonur May 2004, came to a natural end.

The U.S. is showing reluctance to provide Japan with a system that would give it missile-launch data directly from a U.S. early-warning satellite, complicating Japan's plans to deploy Aegis missile defense cruisers.

Bruce Blair surveys the dangers from Russian terrorists acquiring "loose nukes" or other nuclear material and he argues for a more comprehensive plan to reduce the risks. He also introduces a new threat, that cyber-terrorists might hack into Russia's ailing nuclear early warning network and fool it in thinking an attack had taken place.

The risk of a Russian accidental nuclear launch is increasing due to their deteriorating early warning network. A U.S.-Russian program to improve joint early warning capabilities has stalled due to financial and legal issues.

The US Defense Budget for 2005 contains a program that some analysts say could "cross the Rubicon into space weaponization". The program in question, the Near Field Infrared Experiment (NFIRE) satellite, is primarily designed to track ballistic missiles from space for missile defense but it will also contain a smaller "kill vehicle" that can be used to attack missiles or enemy satellites.

The United States and Russia could take thousands of strategic nuclear warheads off hair-trigger alert by introducing an early warning system of sensors that monitor each other's land-based intercontinental missiles, according to former senator Sam Nunn, who once was chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

Russian astronomers express concern over Russia's aged space tracking network and their inability to detect and track small asteroids.

U.S. and Russian officials are meeting to discuss the need for sharing missile early warning data.

Two planned U.S. Defense Department satellites are behind schedule and over budget, jeopardizing White House plans for a ground-based missile defense system.