Amidst a new Cold War scenario, the U.S. Department of Defense is making serious strides to prepare for space warfare.
The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 17th (local time) that “the U.S. Department of Defense is seeking to secure next-generation means to protect satellite networks from attacks and to interfere with or incapacitate enemy spacecraft in orbit from the ground or space, if necessary.”
NYT further reported that this action will counteract the increasing threat to U.S. ground troops, assets, and satellites in orbit as China and Russia’s space operation capabilities improve. U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told the media that China has deployed several space capabilities designed to target our military.
China and Russia have reportedly deployed ground-launched laser weapons, satellite interceptor missiles, and satellites with mobility capabilities. Recently, reports were made that Russia conducted a test launch of a nuclear-armed satellite capable of destroying a wide range of satellites.
The U.S. uses the vague term responsible counter-space campaign to avoid accusations of planning to arrange weapons in space. The NYT analyzed, “While most of the details are classified, the focus is on preventing the generation of a large amount of space debris and suppressing threats from enemy countries in satellite orbits: conventional satellite interceptor missile.” Via strengthened force protection capability, preventing enemy countries from using satellites to locate and target U.S. forces on Earth.
Modernizing existing ground facilities that disrupt enemy satellite communications through radio jamming is underway. Among U.S. military experts, cyberattacks, ground and space laser weapons, and high-powered ultra-short wave weapons are being discussed as means to destroy enemy satellites.
The NYT reported that the recently revised U.S. Department of Defense combat doctrine includes the phrase “effectively suppresses the enemy’s space capabilities to secure Space Superiority.”
The U.S. military has already developed the secret unmanned spacecraft X-37B and carried out flight missions seven times. Although the U.S. military claims it’s an experimental device, some speculate that the X-37B may have weapon-carrying competence.
Separate from the X-37B, the U.S. Department of Defense is also pushing forward with plans for next-generation military satellites that can move independently in satellite orbit and capture enemy satellites with robotic arms. Last month, contracts were signed with two space companies, Rocket Lab and True Anomaly, for experiments related to satellite protection for missile defense.
China and Russia argue that the U.S. exaggerates the claims of enhanced space threats from China and Russia. However, last month, both countries vetoed and abstained from a resolution proposed by the U.S. and Japan at the UN Security Council to ban the deployment of nuclear weapons in space to make it fail. Instead, they proposed an amendment to proscribe all countries’ deployment of space weapons permanently. However, this also could not secure the approval of nine council members required for a Security Council resolution.
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