US Space Force claims to be in ‘perpetual competition’ with China and Russia

In the current era of great power competition, the main objectives US Department of Defense must modernize the military and forge alliances with partners to deter China.

In the space field, the plan is to be in a state of “perpetual competition,” said General B. Chance Saltzman, head of space operations at the space agency. US Space ForceTo space news.

constant threat

Saltzman said that China develops “remarkable capabilities in orbit” and, in response, USA it must figure out how to protect its space assets and keep rivals from attacks that could render outer space useless for human activity.

“Unlike other domains, our concept of controlling a domain in space cannot be based on overwhelming destructive power,” Saltzman said.

A likely scenario would be “perpetual competition” to maintain stability, he said, “without causing our adversaries to break space dominance or fall into despair.”

It’s a balancing act, Saltzman said, because USA he wants “space supremacy when needed, while maintaining the security, stability and long-term sustainability of the space domain.”

Plan

Containment is the centerpiece of US strategy China to target the Pentagon’s most valuable geostationary satellites, located at fixed points 35,000 kilometers above the Earth’s equator. The Department of Defense depends on these satellites for critical communications and early warning of missile launches.

Because of their fixed location, “this predictability and lack of movement relative to the ground makes them particularly vulnerable to direct attack,” Saltzman said. To compensate for this weakness, space forces plans to supplement geostationary systems with distributed networks of satellites in different orbits.

Achievements China And Russia space lasers, orbital proximity sensors and other technologies are a concern USAsaid Lieutenant General John Shaw, Deputy Commander of Space Command. USA.

“We are in danger in space,” Shaw said. “If I were in Russiaor if he served in the PLA [Ejército Popular de Liberación de China]advise leaders to look for spatial opportunities USA”.

USA he relies on satellites “to project energy all over the planet, and they’re not as well protected. Therefore, it is not surprising that we are under threat,” Shaw said.

“We need to completely rethink how we create our spatial architecture,” he said. “We’ll probably have to be more nimble.”

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