Pentagon Accelerates Space Militarization Amid Chinese Advancements

During distinct proceedings, the generals assert that Washington ought to view space not primarily as a strategic asset but rather as a possible battleground.

The chief of operations for the US Space Force cautioned on Thursday that China is becoming proficient in directed energy weapons, radiofrequency technology, and other sophisticated armaments which pose a risk to American endeavors in outer space.

General B. Chance Saltzman, who leads the space operations for the force, informed the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission that China has utilized its assets more efficiently compared to the U.S., as Beijing concentrates solely on one particular area, whereas Washington needs to oversee a broader range of issues.

"We just have a much broader set of missions than what we see the PRC focusing on," he told the commission. "They're very clear in that they have a Western Pacific mindset.

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He noted they manage their assets across all those capabilities, similar to China’s expanding maritime goals in the Asia-Pacific region.

Their concentration made them the most threatening and incredibly swift.

Saltzman contended that the US should hasten the enhancement of Space Force capabilities, and that Washington should regard space less as a resource and more as a military domain.

He informed the commission about the six weapon categories, stating that China is currently making significant investments across all these areas.

We aren't putting money into all six categories.

Those categories, he said, could be further divided into two kinds, ground-based and space-based weapons, with each including the same three types of arms - directed energy weapons, radio frequency weapons and kinetic weapons.

Saltzman said that the US was selectively developing its space arms not only because of limited resources, but also because of an "overly restrictive policy" that hopes to prevent the weaponisation of space.

"Much of our guidance and direction continues to frame space as a strategic resource rather than a war-fighting domain," Saltzman wrote in his opening statement.

As he stated, the Space Force budget is "insufficient to develop the necessary capabilities for achieving space dominance."

"We are critically underfunded in the execution of our newest and most critical mission: space control. We need capabilities both to defeat adversary counters-pace weapons as well as to deny, degrade, or destroy adversary space power."

Saltzman wasn't the sole Pentagon official to speak out on Thursday regarding the necessity for Washington to consider space as a military realm.

During a session with the Senate Armed Services Committee, General Christopher Cavoli, who leads both the U.S. European Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, outlined the various regions where the newly established U.S. Space Force for Europe and Africa is extending its presence.

Since its debut in December 2023, the division has been "enhancing its skills" and bolstering its footprint across different continents, as mentioned.

He mentioned that assets strategically positioned in Europe and backed by our allies enable the U.S. to deliver global space capabilities against every adversary.

Cavoli also discussed expanding cooperation with NATO partners. He mentioned that the new unit has "quickly established relations with NATO allies to boost their contributions towards our shared security against space-borne threats."

He described it as "essential for building a networked, joint-space architecture" aimed at safeguarding military space resources and facilitating worldwide missions.

The United States has expressed reservations about Beijing's space program, suggesting that its activities might be provocative. In last month’s statement, the U.S. Space Force indicated this concern. China was practising "dogfighting" following the detection of multiple in-space maneuvers.

Over the past few years, China has unveiled numerous grandiose space initiatives as part of an effort to accomplish the nation’s “great rejuvenation” by 2049. In line with this vision, President Xi Jinping has called for China to establish itself as a dominant force in space exploration.

Last year, China similarly orchestrated several satellites flying in tight formation, an action that heightened worries among Western nations regarding possible military uses.

China has countered by accusing the United States of militarizing outer space. In December, following the commencement of operations by a U.S. Space Force unit at Yokota Air Base in Japan, China’s Ministry of Defense stated that the U.S. was “triggering an arms race in space and jeopardizing global strategic stability.”

The ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang similarly stated at that time that China has consistently advocated for the peaceful utilization of outer space and has been against its militarization.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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