General Chance Salzmann said China has “invested heavily in the threat of counter space” over the past 20 years.
China’s ambitions in space bring “strong and unstable forces” to the US economy and national security, according to General Chance Salzman, head of space operations for the US Space Force.
“Over the past 20 years, our competitors, particularly China, have invested heavily in counterspace threats, athleticism and non-physical weapons that can deny, degrade or destroy satellites,” warned Saltzman.
The hearing took place as tensions between China and the US over trade policy and tariffs increased. Saltzman’s testimony sheds light on the challenges US military may face in potential conflicts in the Western Pacific, including Taiwan.
Saltzman explained that China had a “western Pacific thinking,” and was able to move forward with space capabilities quickly to pool all resources and improve all the capabilities of the region. In contrast, the US has more global concerns, according to Space Commanders.
“Modern battlefields must explain the space domain,” he said. “If you can’t continue to protect your domain’s use and can’t deny the enemy, it’ll be difficult to achieve your military goals in one of the other domains.”
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“The information suggests that the PLA is likely to see counterspace operations as a way to block and counter US military intervention in local conflicts,” Salzman wrote.
The general said that Chinese space weapons include missiles of space from the ground and ground-based lasers, the latter “can destroy, deteriorate or damage satellite sensors.”
“We expect the system to deploy high enough by the mid- to late 2020s, as it could physically damage satellite structures,” his testimony reads.
Currently, China’s military exercises “regularly incorporate radio frequency jammers” for space-based communications, radar and navigation systems, according to Saltzman.
“Intelligence suggests that PLA may develop jammers and target the US military to broader frequencies, including very high frequency (EHF) systems,” he said.
China is also practicing “dogfighting in space,” and Saltzman said his service has seen Chinese experimental satellites performing “unusual, large-scale, rapid manipulation” in Earth orbit in recent years. Based on observations, Saltzmann said Beijing is “determined to compete with space operators (US) through combat operations.”
“China’s advances in space technology, their stated desire to dominate, and Beijing’s ignorance of international norms for responsible use of space, make them an incredible danger to our prosperity and safety,” he said.
“China’s resolve to deny the US space shop in India-Pacific will not only decompose our military space-based capabilities, but will not only threaten our allies and commercial partner satellites, but will threaten them as well.”
