China is rapidly building space capabilities to be able to launch precision strikes on Taiwan, the US and its allies, US Space Force leaders said at a recent conference in London.
China is developing counterspace warfare capabilities including GPS jamming systems and anti-satellite missiles at “breathtaking speed,” said General Stephen Whiting, commander of the US Space Command.
In the past six years, Beijing tripled its number of dedicated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites, while rapidly fielding dual-use satellites, Whiting said, adding that the capabilities are honed for detecting movements at sea.
Photo: Reuters
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) might have already achieved substantial benefits from Beijing’s space warfare program in the form of enhanced targeting range, precision and lethality of its arms, and the development of the Signal Support Force, its latest independent military branch, Whiting said.
The force is believed to be focused on leveraging space technology to augment China’s space operations, cyber and information warfare, and logistics, he said.
Lieutenant Colonel Galen Thorp, commander of the US Space Force 1st Space Operations Squadron, said that China’s new space capabilities allow the PLA to attack Taiwan directly and significantly extend the range of its ballistic missiles.
These capabilities would make it more challenging for the US military to intervene in a Taiwan conflict, he said.
Lieutenant Colonel Travis Anderson, commander of the US Space Force 75th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron, said that China’s new satellites allow Beijing to find and attack US and allied warships across the Indo-Pacific region.
The PLA’s ability to target ground troops of opposing forces has also been elevated through the use of space technology, he said.
China displayed a clear intent to use space-based capabilities to enhance force projection, including the ability to deliver over-the-horizon fires on targets thousands of kilometers away, US Space Force 2nd Delta Squadron Commander Colonel Raj Agrawal said.
The PLA aims to make it too cost-prohibitive for US and allied forces to maneuver in the Indo-Pacific region, he said.
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