China is developing military space systems at an astonishing speed, posing a greater concern for the United States (U.S.) than Russia’s potential deployment of nuclear weapons in space, stated General B. Chance Saltzman, Chief of the U.S. Space Force.
“The speed at which they are introducing counter-space capabilities is stunning,” Saltzman said, referring to systems used against satellites and spacecraft. He added that it is troubling to see China launching hundreds of satellites to build a targeting system that could be employed in Earth-based missions.
Saltzman noted that attention is often focused on Russia and its space-based nuclear projects, especially concerning European security, but he considers China the greater challenge. “The scale and diversity of threats posed by China represent a unique challenge,” he said. “However, Russia is also a very capable space-faring nation and is investing significantly in counter-space capacities.”
China and Russia are also collaborating on a lunar space station project and have garnered the support of countries such as Egypt, South Africa, Thailand, and Pakistan as part of an initiative that directly competes with the U.S. Artemis program for lunar exploration.
The U.S. Space Force was established in 2019 with the goal of treating space as a military field, similar to air, sea, land, and cyberspace. However, establishing a new branch of the military is not a simple process, Saltzman added. “We underestimated what it would take to build an organization at the level of a military service,” he said.
Currently, the U.S. Space Force is developing systems to protect expensive satellites and to deter adversaries from using space systems in conflict. One threat involves lasers that can blind optical sensors on satellites. Intercepting satellite communications is also a serious issue, while GPS signal interference has disrupted systems in the Baltic region.
The U.S. Space Force budget for this year is 29 billion dollars, while NASA has an additional 27.2 billion dollars, putting U.S. space programs well ahead of European efforts, which are funded through various national and joint European Space Agency and European Union (EU) programs.
Some European countries, including France, the United Kingdom (UK), and Germany, are also establishing military space branches, though on a much smaller scale than the U.S. efforts.
The U.S. views these plans as a way to strengthen the Western alliance. Saltzman has appointed Paul Godfrey, former head of the UK Space Command, as an advisor for international cooperation in space operations.
Godfrey’s role includes fostering collaboration through initiatives like the Combined Space Operations Initiative (CSpO), which includes Five Eyes intelligence allies alongside France, Germany, Italy, Norway, and Japan, to bolster joint space defense.
“It’s all about aligning goals as we all establish space commands and develop similar, compatible, and integrated capacities for the future,” Godfrey stated during a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels, where he met with Saltzman.
