By BlueShift | 2024-12-11

WASHINGTON -- US Space Force (USSF) officials are raising concerns over China's advances in space technology and its ability to challenge the United States in space.

The evolving space environment is becoming increasingly hostile, marked by the erosion of longstanding norms and the emergence of new threats to US space assets, Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations for the USSF, said December 7 at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California.

"The adversary is quickly shrinking that [capability] gap, and we have got to change the way we approach space pretty rapidly," Guetlein said, as quoted by SpaceNews.

"Today that capability gap is in our favor, but if it goes negative on us, it's going to be a really bad day."

While in the past, there was a tacit "gentleman's agreement" not to interfere with each other's space systems, that restraint has dissolved, leading to aggressive tactics including Global Positioning System jamming and cyberattacks, among others, he said.

"This new norm of behavior is very unsafe and unprofessional," Guetlein said.

Such a threat will require a fundamental shift in how the United States approaches space operations, he added.

Closer cooperation with international allies and commercial industry will be key, he said.

"In the past, we didn't believe we could count on our commercial partners and international partners during times of crisis," Guetlein said. "That has completely changed."

"We must act now to ensure that the capability gap doesn't shrink to zero -- or worse, go negative," Guetlein said.

'Mind-boggling' threat from China

China's military space ambitions in recent years have reflected its strategic goal of becoming a leading global power in space.

Through its space program, overseen by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), China has developed anti-satellite weapons, advanced satellite jamming, and other disruptive capabilities.

China's rapid development of space-based military systems has raised more concerns than possible Russian space nuclear weapons have, US Space Force chief Gen. B. Chance Saltzman told POLITICO in an interview on October 31.

"The pace with which they put counterspace capabilities into play is mind-boggling," Saltzman said of China.

Beijing is launching "hundreds of satellites" as part of a targeting system that could be used to aid missions on Earth, he highlighted.

"The volume of threats, the diversity of threats that [China] is presenting is a particular challenge," Saltzman said.

"There should be no doubt in your mind that China can and will use their space capability to hold the joint and combined force at risk," he warned in Orlando, Florida, December 10, according to SpaceNews.

Russian threat

However, Saltzman warned of a space challenge from Russia as well.

"Russia is a very capable space-faring nation, and they've invested heavily in counterspace as well," he told POLITICO in October.

In his December 10 speech quoted by SpaceNews, he described that country's counterspace arsenal as "eye-watering." The list of Russian options includes "anti-satellite weapons, co-orbital threats, and advanced electronic warfare systems," SpaceNews said.

The USSF, established in 2019, is the newest branch of the US military. Its primary mission is to organize, train, and equip space forces to ensure US dominance in the space domain, protect American interests, and enhance global security.