One result of China's demonstration last year of an ability to shoot down satellites is a renewed push in some quarters of the U.S. government to develop a force of non-nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The idea of such missiles armed with high explosive warheads has been around for years, but at least two top officials see it as more attractive in the wake of China's anti-satellite demonstration.

One is Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, commander of U.S. Strategic Command in Omaha, Neb. "Let's hypothesize there's a nation that were to field a robust anti-satellite capability, akin to the capability we saw demonstrated by the Chinese, and let's say that nation were to attack our satellites," he told a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee on Feb. 27-about a week after the U.S. demonstrated a similar capability.

Today, Chilton can offer the president an option to strike back with nuclear missiles. But he said it would be advantageous to also "have a Prompt Global Conventional Strike capability in the quiver." One of its greatest strengths would be "to control escalation in some scenarios," he said.

Michael Vickers, assistant secretary of defense for special operations/low intensity conflict, agreed.

But besides the ASAT scenario, he told the House panel, PGCS has applications in thwarting terrorists with weapons of mass destruction. "It could be terrorists plotting other attacks in the homeland, and the only way to strike that might be with a rapid Prompt Global Strike weapon."