WASHINGTON — China is growing its military capabilities in space at a “breathtaking pace” to counter the American satellites in orbit and improve its ability to monitor and target forces on Earth, according to the head of the U.S. Space Command.
America’s top strategic challenger is seeking to develop advanced space weaponry and making advances in satellite meteorology, human spaceflight and robotic space exploration, General Stephen Whiting said during a hearing Thursday of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Whiting’s warnings, delivered during a hearing on future military budgeting priorities, highlight Washington’s focus on China as its biggest economic and security threat, a geopolitical competition that ramped up under former President Donald Trump and has been sustained by Joe Biden’s administration.
China’s satellite fleet has more than tripled since 2018 to 359 systems, Whiting said in his prepared remarks, adding that some of its newly deployed satellites may be able to function as weapons that can disrupt the orbit of U.S. assets. Beijing is also developing “hypersonic glide vehicles” other advanced space weaponry to overcome traditional missile warning and defense systems, he said.
China “is growing its military space and counterspace capabilities at breathtaking pace to deny American and allied space capabilities when they so choose,” he said.
Most concerning about China’s accelerated emphasis…
