Space Force Says Russia, China Attack US Satellites Regularly

In a candid interview, a US Space Force official said that China and Russia regularly attack US space satellites. So far, these attacks have only caused reversible damage.

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Conflict Intensifying In Space

According to General David Thompson, China and Russia regularly conduct operations against US satellites.

Thompson, the vice chief of space operations, described the acts as “skirting the line between intelligence operations and acts of war.” 

“The threats are really growing and expanding every single day. And it’s really an evolution of activity that’s been happening for a long time,” Gen. David Thompson said in an interview.

“We’re really at a point now where there’s a whole host of ways that our space systems can be threatened.”

‘Reversible’ Attacks

The Space Force vice-chief described the attacks as “reversible,” which denotes temporary effects to US satellites. However, frequency is another question. Thompson said that these attacks occur every single day. 

Thompson also thinks that by the end of the decade, China can overtake the US as the number one space power. In fact, the Chinese remain well ahead of Russia.

The field operational systems “at an incredible rate”. Specifically, the Chinese space agency expanded its satellite constellations to include a number of new intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellites.

They are doing so at twice the rate of the US Space Force. “We are still the best in the world, clearly in terms of capability. They’re catching up quickly. We should be concerned by the end of this decade if we don’t adapt,” Thompson warned. 

Space Arms Race In Quality, Not Numbers

Meanwhile, Space Force Secretary Frank Kendall confirmed on Tuesday that competition is building up in space.

“There is an arms race, not necessarily for increased numbers, but for increased quality,” he said. “It’s an arms race that has been going on for quite some time,” he said. “The Chinese have been at it very aggressively.”

As a result of aggressive Chinese expansion, some military officials urged the more active deployment of satellites to boost the US military’s presence.

This can help strengthen the fidelity of sense. In particular, this can help form a faster response to the recently successful Chinese hypersonic weapons test.

China and Russia Developing Space Weapons

Both the Chinese and the Russians are developing space-based weapons that can attack satellites. Reports are surfacing that China is developing a satellite that can physically attack other space objects.

It comes with an arm or grappling hook that allows it to grab or damage another satellite. The Chinese have enough reasons to want to confront US satellites.

American intelligence reports based on satellites helped show the locations of concentration camps and nuclear weapons sites in China. 

Meanwhile, Russia is also making its space presence felt. In 2019, the Russians launched a smaller satellite into orbit very near a US national security satellite.

The US government scrambled to verify if the Russians were about to attack their satellite. However before the US made a move, the Russian satellite moved further away.

It then released a small target which they shot with a projectile. Recently, Russia tested its anti-satellite missile, which destroyed its target.

However, the test generated a lot of dangerous debris that put US satellites in danger.  

Watch the WION news video reporting that the US slams Russia for anti-satellite missile tests, calls it ‘irresponsible act’:

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What do you think of the US Space Force? In addition, do you think the US has enough to ward off attempts from China and Russia to dominate outer space?

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