The U.S. Space Force enters its fifth year amid heightened threats to the nation’s space assets, rising geopolitical tensions and technological challenges.
Space Force chief of space operations Gen. Chance Saltzman set the tone for the year ahead in a keynote speech at the service’s first annual conference in December.
A central message from Saltzman is that guardians – the Space Force’s personnel – have to understand and communicate the intricate connection between space systems and earthly warfare, and need to fully grasp the role of space systems in military operations amid competition with China and Russia.
In this complex environment, the Space Force will need fresh thinking and innovation from all ranks, the chief insisted. The stakes are high as Chinese and Russian space weapons could threaten the United States economically and militarily.
A U.S. commission report submitted to Congress in November highlighted an intensifying “strategic and systemic competition,” and warned of China’s rapid advances in missiles, space, undersea and artificial intelligence capabilities. Of concern to the United States are China’s satellite jammers, directed energy weapons, dual-use “satellite inspection” spacecraft that could disable U.S. assets, and space-based nuclear weapons potentially capable of global strikes.
Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces have been jamming Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite signals to hinder Ukrainian military operations — disrupting communication, targeting and navigation for Ukrainian troops and drones. Russia’s use of GPS jamming continues to raise concerns about the vulnerability of U.S. military systems to electronic warfare.
In response, the U.S. Space Force intends to accelerate the deployment of next-generation satellites, harden current defenses, make constellations more resilient and engage private space innovators.
Beyond…
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