Chinese military has deployed hundreds of satellites with which to attack US satellites in future, Russia not far behind

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The commander of the US Space Force warned this week that China’s military has deployed hundreds of satellites with which it could attack American satellites in future, the Washington Times reports.

Giving his warning during a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Space Force Gen. B. Chance Saltzman added that Russia is also testing and deploying orbital anti-satellite weapons, extensive cyber capabilities, and land-based anti-satellite missiles, electronic jammers, and lasers, the Times reports.

China’s operations present “the most immediate threat” to the US of attacks in space, the Times quoted Saltzman as telling the Senate hearing. Beijing has invested heavily in building space weapons to attack space systems and ground components, the commander said.

China has a “space dream” to be the leading space power by 2045, Saltzman explained. The Chinese military aims to deploy lasers that can attack satellite sensors and electronic warfare jammers that can disable GPS satellites and communications satellites. To this end, the Chinese military has deployed 347 satellites up to now, including 35 in the last six months alone.

While its capabilities are not as advanced as China’s Russian space operations present “an acute threat” of attacks on US satellites, Saltzman said. Both China and Russia “are intent on targeting perceived U.S. vulnerabilities and eliminating American advantage in the space domain,” the four-star general warned. “Both expect space to be key to future warfare by enabling long-range precision strikes. Both seek information superiority through disabling an adversary’s space communication and navigation systems.”

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