US reveals reason for establishing Space Force

The chief of the US Space Force has issued a warning that China is rapidly developing military capabilities in space at a “mind-boggling” rate, raising the likelihood of conflict in orbit.

“The number of different categories of space weapons that [China has] created and . . . the speed with which they’re doing it is very threatening,” stated General Chance Saltzman, who leads space operations for the US military's newly established force dedicated to safeguarding American interests in space, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Saltzman made these comments during a European tour aimed at highlighting the potential for space conflict with nations like China and Russia, as well as the importance of collaborating with European allies to enhance deterrence capabilities. “One of the reasons you have a space force in the US now is in recognition of the last 20 years, [Russia and China] have developed and demonstrated the ability to conduct war fighting in space,” he noted.

The Space Force was created in 2019 by then-President Donald Trump, who is currently campaigning for re-election. The US military has long relied on space-based resources for communications and missile targeting, while for China, space has become a vital arena in its efforts to challenge one of the US military's traditional advantages. Beijing has dismissed US assertions that its advancing space program poses a threat to other nations.

The foreign ministry accused Washington of “repeatedly hyping up China” as a danger, claiming it serves as “an excuse for the US to expand its forces in outer space and maintain military hegemony.” As part of extensive military reforms initiated in 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping merged space, information, and cyber warfare operations into the Strategic Support Force, a new branch of the People’s Liberation Army. In April, Xi initiated another restructuring that effectively disbanded the SSF, placing its functions directly under military leadership, indicating his intent to strengthen space, cyber, and information operations. 

Both Russia and China have conducted tests on satellites equipped with features such as grappling hooks to capture other satellites and “kinetic kill vehicles” designed to target satellites and long-range ballistic missiles in space. In May, a senior US defence department official informed a House Armed Services Committee hearing that Russia was developing an “indiscriminate” nuclear weapon intended for deployment in space, while in September, China conducted a third secretive test of an unmanned space plane that could potentially disrupt satellites. 

By Naila Huseynova