China possesses an orbital 'kill network'.

A U.S. Space Force official stressed that the country is at a turning point in space security and needs to step up its actions before Russia and China close the gap in capabilities.

Speaking at the 16th McAleese Defense Program Conference in Arlington, Virginia, on March 18, US Vice Chairman of the Space Staff Michael Guetlein warned that Washington needs to reconsider how it protects the country's satellites.

US Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Space Affairs Michael Guetlein

The U.S. Space Force should shift its focus from managing spacecraft to support ground-based defense infrastructure to enhancing its arsenal of weapons in orbit—a focus currently being pursued by America's adversaries, argues General Michael Guetlein.

For decades, space-going nations largely avoided interfering with each other's satellites and spacecraft. However, that era appears to be coming to an end, according to Space.com . Guetlein argues that the old norms in space are beginning to erode.

This shift occurred as both China and Russia have increased their orbital warfare capabilities in recent years. In November 2021, a Russian anti-satellite (ASAT) test created a cloud of nearly 1,800 debris fragments in low Earth orbit (LEO), posing a direct threat to space stations and numerous satellites in space.

The mysterious US X-37B spacecraft has revealed its first images taken from space.

In 2022, a Chinese satellite was discovered using a robotic arm to pull a satellite the size of a double-decker bus out of its position and into a "super-graveyard drift orbit".

In addition, China is also developing its own domestic intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) technologies. "China's ISR capabilities are becoming very promising. They have shifted from what we used to call a 'Kill Chain' to a 'Kill Network'," Guetlein described an integrated network interwoven with intelligence-tracking-reconnaissance (ISR) satellites and weapon systems.

The image illustrates a model of a satellite placed on Earth.

General Guetlein also noted the growing trend of "jamming, disguising, and blinding," highlighting these tactics as a rapid addition to the new operating environment in space.

The U.S. official added that as new orbital technologies and combat capabilities emerge, it is crucial for the U.S. to maintain its advantage. However, the U.S.'s former enormous technological advantage in space is shrinking.

Therefore, to counter the potential for overtaking by its rivals, the U.S. Space Force has begun strengthening its infrastructure and adding backup options. In addition, the U.S. is developing integrated defense systems, including an initiative called the Golden Dome. "The magic of the Golden Dome will be the integration of capabilities that have never been networked or integrated before. Many of the pieces of the Golden Dome already exist. They just haven't been connected yet," according to Guetlein.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tuong-my-trung-quoc-so-huu-mang-luoi-tieu-diet-tren-quy-dao-18525032209275852.htm