The global spread of advanced satellite technology has made it possible for a number of countries to obtain high definition imagery from satellites in low Earth orbit, or to buy such information from countries offering it for sale. Such data can be of crucial importance in military operations. In future conflicts or crises the United States must be able to neutralize hostile satellites. But at present the U.S. has no ability to do so.

In 1989 the U.S. Army began a demonstration/validation program to develop a direct ascent kinetic energy ASAT for U.S. forces. The main component is a kinetic kill vehicle (KKV} that would be launched by rocket booster to strike and put a hostile satellite out of service. The KKV, based on existing hardware, already has been designed, developed, integrated, and ground-tested successfully leading to an mission capability by 2000.