American supremacy in space, made more necessary by reliance on satellite systems for communication, is threatened by Chinese military planning. Yet, despite the likelihood of military action in space, the complications of preparing for it are increasing the risks involved.
These are the findings of a new report, prepared by Center for Naval Analyses’ specialists Kevin Pollpeter, Elizabeth Barrett, and April Herlevi. It argues that the military needs to develop and deploy space weapons—including communication jammers and spoofers, high-powered lasers, and high-powered microwaves—to counter potential threats.
At present, the U.S. Space Force currently operates 600 sensors targeting 1,000 ‘space targets’ among about 9,500 satellites currently in orbit. While building up U.S. space power to dissuade China from attacking satellites may be impossible, it remains
advantageous for both sides to conduct offensive actions against space assets in a conflict to negate the precision firepower of the other.
The report also concedes that, in contrast to Space Force, China views the U.S. as a malign actor in space.
Against this backdrop, both sides may need to look closely at the potential for their mutual technology purchases to be used against them.
