The collective efforts of the United States and its allies to safeguard their shared interests in space are critical amid increasing threats in the domain, the commander of U.S. Space Command said yesterday.
Space Force Gen. Stephen N. Whiting said the risks posed to critical U.S. and allied space capabilities are accelerating as Russia and China, in particular, field an array of capabilities.
“The People’s Republic of China, specifically, is fielding capabilities at breathtaking speed, holding space systems in all orbital regimes at risk,” Whiting said during an address at the Air & Space Power Association’s Defense Space Conference in London.
“Along with Russia, they are deploying counterspace capabilities ranging from reversible, nonkinetic systems, such as [satellite communication] and GPS jammers and cyberattacks, to direct ascent and co-orbital antisatellite weapons,” he said.
Threats that were once theoretical or future possibilities are now realities, Whiting said.
“Our strategic competitors also clearly recognize the advantages space provides on the modern battlefield,” he added. “Russia’s aggression in Ukraine shows that forces on land, at sea, and in the air can no longer move or conceal themselves without being tracked and targeted from space or by space-enabled systems.”
He said China has built a robust space-enabled network it aims to use to deny terrestrial forces and navies from accessing the Indo-Pacific region.
In addition to rapidly developing capabilities, Whiting said both China and Russia are challenging norms and responsible behaviors in space.
Whiting noted China’s recurring launch anomalies that generated significant debris, which pose a danger to assets in orbit.
He also highlighted Russia’s reported plan to deploy a nuclear weapon in space in violation of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.
“Such a capability would have indiscriminate effects and pose a threat to all satellites operated by countries and companies around the globe,” Whiting said, adding that the U.S. would continue to engage with like-minded nations “to ensure that Russia understands the global community cannot tolerate a nuclear weapon in space.”
Addressing these growing threats, Whiting said, requires a strategic approach. And it starts with a capable, integrated team.
“Space is a team sport,” he said. “No single nation, department, service, agency or company can succeed alone. The full potential of space power is realized through the integration and synchronization of the joint, interagency, allied and commercial elements creating collective advantage that surpasses any competitor.”
U.S. Space Command plays a critical role in the integrated space enterprise, he said. He highlighted three moral responsibilities guiding Spacecom’s mission, including ensuring space capabilities, protecting and defending space constellations, and safeguarding against space-enabled attacks.
Underpinning Spacecom’s success is the shared trust it forges with partners and allies.
“Yes, [China] and Russia are active in the international arena,” Whiting said. “But they cannot begin to replicate what we have: relationships forged over the decades in wartime and peace, built on a foundation of shared principles and values and in the chaos of conflict.”
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