US General Says Biggest Threat in Space Comes From China

He space “changed radically” in a few years due to the growing arms race, according to the American general, who stressed that the biggest “threat” is Chinafollowed by Russia.

“We see our strategic competitors making a wide variety of weapons,” said Gen. Bradley Chance Saltzman, commander of military operations. USA in space, in an interview with a small media group.

“The threat that poses the greatest challenge, Chinabut also Russia”He said during a discussion on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

The military referred to technologies such as anti-satellite missiles (AS AT), systems of directed energy weapons and devices with the possibility of orbital interception.

“We must remember that space as a contested area has changed radically. The way we work in space has to change, and that’s mostly because of the weapons that (China) And Russia tested, and in some cases put into operation,” he explained.

These statements have a special dimension, given the rising tensions between state joined And Chinawhich was reflected in tense skirmishes on Saturday in Munich between the head of US diplomacy Anthony Blinken and his colleague from ChinaWang Yi, about the alleged Chinese spy balloon.

Blinken warned Wang that “this must not happen again.” China send device over airspace USA.

For his part, the head of Chinese diplomacy said that Washington’s reaction to the downing of the balloon damaged relations between the two countries.

Beijing claims the balloon was a meteorological research device that veered off course.

space arms race

An arms race in space is nothing new. In 1985, the Pentagon used a missile to destroy a satellite on a test basis. China did the same in 2007 and India in 2019.

Countries are increasingly hiding their military activities in space, but in 2019, when the Pentagon launched its Space Force, the US Department of Defense USA predicted that Russia And China had the potential to surpass USA.

Saltzman denied that USA fall behind

But the fight has evolved, and the idea is no longer to destroy satellites with rockets or build kamikaze satellites, but to find ways to damage them with lasers or powerful microwaves.

The conflict in Ukraine served as a reminder of the importance of space in current and future wars.

“Space is important in modern warfare,” Saltzman said. “You can attack space without going into space, via cybernetworks or other vectors. We need to make sure we protect all of these opportunities.”

Increased military activity coupled with commercial operations creates potential collateral damage or devastating debris problems.

He added that the space “will become more and more congested.”

Saltzman did not negotiate with his colleagues from China and from Russiahis team said.

“If we can work with a clear idea of ​​what standards are, we will be much more secure,” he concluded.

(According to AFP)

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