![]() space systems," according the Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. "Threats to our use of military, civil and commercial space systems will increase in the next few years as Russia and China progress in developing counterspace weapon systems to deny, degrade, or disrupt U.S. military's newer satellites are designed to overcome enemy jamming and withstand other potential offensive actions.Įven so, some of the technology that allows micro-satellites to attach to other satellites is still believed to be capable of rendering targets useless. "The Russians have pretty advanced space capabilities as well." "China has shown the whole world that they can do something about our space capabilities," said Harrison. China also is moving ahead into manned-spacecraft technologies as well as lunar and Mars exploration missions. Experts believe the small satellites could be used for a kamikaze-type mission to ram another satellite or to snoop on it for data collection or jamming to interfere with its capabilities.Īs for China, a decade ago the communist nation tested an anti-satellite missile and destroyed one of their weather satellites, a move criticized because of the debris field created in space. Through the 2000s, we started to realize that this might be an issue." Russia has sent micro-satellites into space and covertly maneuvered a small spacecraft close to commercial satellites. "We took it for granted and kind of ignored the vulnerabilities," said Harrison. didn't have to worry about an adversary knocking out satellites. "With rapidly growing threats to our space systems, as well as the threat of a degraded space environment, we must prepare for a conflict that extends into space."Īnalysts say after the Soviet Union crumbled and a weakened Russia emerged there was a view that the U.S. "While we're not at war in space, I don't think we can say we are exactly at peace either," the admiral said. Strategic Command, warned in a speech at a CSIS space security conference about offensive space capabilities and weapons being developed by China and Russia. Last week, Navy Vice Admiral Charles Richard, deputy commander of U.S. ![]() "The primary objectives of the X-37B are twofold: reusable spacecraft technologies for America's future in space, and operating experiments, which can be returned to, and examined on Earth," said an Air Force spokesperson. The military has always denied the small robotic craft is a kind of space weapon.īoeing declined comment for this story and referred questions to the Air Force. Air Force might be using the Boeing -built X-37B unmanned military space plane to test space weapons. Harrison said there's evidence that insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq also have used jamming.Īs for lasers, they can blind imagery satellites and high-power microwave guns could knock out circuitry on targeted satellites. North Korea has previously used ground jammers, impacting both military and civilian aircraft and ships. And the threat isn't limited to space-faring countries since the satellite jamming technology is relatively inexpensive. ![]() space systems.Įxperts say the biggest threats seen today are non-kinetic threats such as jamming of satellite-based capabilities such as GPS and communications. The subcommittee heard about the role space-based capabilities play in emergencies and the threats to U.S. Air Force Space Command, in testimony Wednesday to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. William Shelton, the former commander of the U.S. "Not surprisingly, nations are now actively testing methods to deny us continued use of space services during conflict," said retired Air Force Gen. At the same time, infrared satellites provide key intelligence systems used as part of the early warning system to track and detect nuclear warheads and other threats to the homeland. uses satellite technology in advanced weapons systems aboard aircraft and warships to carry out precision-strike capabilities. "Our military space systems are critical to the way we fight war today," said Todd Harrison, director of the aerospace security project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank. "My guess is that our capabilities to carry out a war in space are a lot better than the Chinese and Russians," said Krepon.Īccording to analysts, space weapons could be used to compromise navigation, surveillance, communications and other functions in a wartime scenario or national emergency. Space weapons include satellite jammers, lasers and high-power microwave gun systems. A space arms race of sorts is underway with weapons under development or in the arsenals of China, Russia and the U.S.
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