US Military to develop space weapons for China, Russia combat: Report
The U.S. Military’s Space Strategy to Counter China and Russia
The U.S. military is actively developing advanced weapons to counter the growing threats posed by China and Russia in space, according to a recently declassified document.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is not only focused on defensive capabilities but also on offensive capabilities to deter aggression and protect U.S. space assets from potential attacks.
“DoD must have the infrastructure to deter aggression and protect U.S. space capabilities from attack. Resilience is fundamental, but resilience is not sufficient alone to deter all attacks or assure U.S. space-based services relative to the impact of their loss or degradation,” reads the document (pdf), a strategy review made public at the request of Congress.
“DoD requires joint military space capabilities to protect and defend U.S., and as directed, allied, partner, and commercial space assets and to protect the Joint Force, allies, and partners from adversary hostile uses of space.”
One of the weapon systems being developed is referred to as “integrated space fires.” The U.S. strategy also emphasizes the importance of updated electronic capabilities to counter “cunning adversaries.”
The Space Force has previously disclosed its work on a satellite jammer from L3Harris Space and Airborne Systems, which allows U.S. fighters to temporarily disable enemy satellites.
Warfighting efforts are coordinated by the Space Warfighting Activities Group, consisting of officials from the DOD and intelligence agencies.
Battles in space could occur across various domains.
“As potential adversaries increase their use of space-based services to support their combat capability, operations to deny hostile use of space could reduce an adversary’s ability to conduct attacks against the United States and its allies and partners. Joint Force space operations could deny an adversary’s space and counterspace capabilities and services using a variety of reversible and irreversible means, reducing the effectiveness and lethality of adversary forces across all domains,” the document explains.
“Operations to deny adversary hostile use of space could originate in any domain and target on-orbit, ground, cyber, and/or link segments to reduce the full spectrum of an adversary’s ability to exploit the space domain.”
China and Russia
The document highlights China as “the most serious threat” and Russia as “an acute threat.”
China is actively treating space as a potential battleground and is developing weapons, including missiles capable of destroying satellites in low Earth orbit.
“As the [Chinese military] has developed and fielded these counterspace weapons, it has simultaneously promoted false claims that it will not place weapons in space,” the document reveals.
Russia, on the other hand, aims to achieve space dominance and has been developing a range of reversible and irreversible counterspace systems to degrade or deny U.S. space-based services. This is seen as a way to offset perceived U.S. military advantage and deter the United States from entering regional conflicts.
Russia’s arsenal includes directed energy weapons and missiles, with one notable incident in 2021 where a missile struck and shattered a defunct Russian satellite into thousands of pieces.
Russia has already demonstrated its capabilities in satellite imagery and missile detection.
Both China and Russia possess satellites equipped with grappling capabilities, which can disrupt other satellites.
Lawmakers React
Representative Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed concern over the accelerated deployment of space weapons by China and Russia.
“With this report, the Department of Defense has started what needs to be a robust discussion of what we must do to protect the Joint Force from Russian and Chinese space weapons. We must continue to move the ball forward as we look to achieve a comprehensive military advantage in space,” he stated.
Representatives Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) emphasized the importance of being able to win battles if deterrence fails.
“Perhaps most importantly, the strategy ensures that we remain the world leader in the responsible use of space and establishing and maintaining norms of behavior in this increasingly essential domain,” they added.
The document affirms that the DOD is committed to upholding norms of behavior in space, based on international treaties and the United Nations charter. The DOD has also taken steps such as pledging not to conduct destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing since 2022, particularly targeting satellites in low Earth orbit.
All lawmakers welcomed the disclosure of the strategy, considering it a positive step towards reducing over-classification. They expressed hope for improved collaboration with allies and private companies.
The United States is seeking a record-breaking budget of over $33.3 billion for space in fiscal year 2024. This funding will be allocated towards the development of next-generation overhead persistent infrared space capabilities.
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The U.S. Response
To counter these growing threats, the U.S. military has been actively developing advanced space weapons and strategies.
The development of “integrated space fires” is a key focus of the U.S. strategy. This weapon system is designed to provide offensive capabilities to deter aggression and protect U.S. space assets from potential attacks.
Additionally, the U.S. strategy emphasizes the importance of updated electronic capabilities to counter the tactics of “cunning adversaries.” This highlights the need for technological advancements to stay ahead of China and Russia in the space domain.
The Space Force, a branch of the U.S. military dedicated to space operations, has previously disclosed its work on a satellite jammer. This jammer, developed by L3Harris Space and Airborne Systems, enables U.S. fighters to temporarily disable enemy satellites, further enhancing the defensive capabilities of U.S. forces in space.
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