American military leaders are more open, than ever, talk about fighting in space, and not only about his protection. At the annual Space Symposium last month, senior officials took a clearer stance, focused on "space advantage" - the term, which is based on military doctrine, which means, that the U.S. military must be able to operate satellites in orbit unhindered and deprive enemies of this advantage.
"Space superiority is now a prerequisite for success on the battlefield", – said Gen. Chens Saltzman, chief of space operations of the Space Forces, in his keynote speech. “So regardless, do you believe that, that space superiority will win the next war, should be recognized, that we, certainly, we will lose". After decades of treating space primarily as a support area for ground operations, the new rhetoric reflects a broader transformation in US space strategy, which increasingly views the cosmos as dynamic, disputed area, in which the ability to maneuver — and, if necessary, striking is extremely important.
"Potential opponents realized, what a unique strategic advantage space dominance provides", Salzman added, considering that, how dependent the military is on satellites for communications, navigation, missile attack surveillance and warning. "They know, like us, that control of altitude is critical to success in all other areas". General Stephen Whiting, the new head of the US Space Command, spoke directly: "Without space capabilities, the combined forces cannot fire, move and communicate like this, as they need, with speed and scale, necessary for victory on the modern battlefield".
War in space is not inevitable, Whiting said, “but we have to apply our best thinking, to be ready. There is no more controversy about that, that space is a sphere of military operations".
The military has often described space as "congested and contested" -- carefully vetted language, which avoided open discussion of offensive possibilities. Lieutenant General Sean Bratton, deputy chief of space operations of the Space Forces for strategy, plans, programs and requirements, admitted, that the culture has changed. "We are moving away from the principles of only protection and defense and that's it, we will talk about offensive capabilities in space", he told reporters.
Just days after the Space Symposium, the Space Force released its clearest plan to date to protect America's satellites — and, if necessary, aiming at the enemy's space systems - in the event of a conflict. In the document entitled "Space combat operations: framework for planners" is outlined, how US forces can establish control over the orbital high ground through a series of offensive and defensive operations, reflecting the evolution of military thinking about warfare beyond Earth.
"This document is very specific about space superiority", - said Bretton. He claims, that heightened tone is consistent with the Pentagon's broader aspirations to instill that, what military leaders call the "ethos of warfare"—a cultural emphasis on combat effectiveness and a willingness to engage directly with adversaries, when necessary.
However, the strategic shift to space control and superiority will require more, than mere rhetoric. It will also require tangible equipment in orbit. This means deploying systems, able to maneuver, inspect and potentially neutralize other satellites. Some of the technologies, which the Space Force is considering for its future arsenal, appear in the commercial sector, where companies have developed dual-purpose platforms to service satellites, debris removal and space traffic management. Such tools, as robotic manipulators, which can capture and move spacecraft, autonomous docking and refueling systems, space propulsion modules and sensors, capable of looking inside satellites, can be adapted for defensive missions, offering the military a faster and often cheaper path to deploying capabilities, which would take years to develop from scratch.
These technologies are becoming central to the Pentagon's plans to secure its own access to space — and potentially deny it to others. “If you can get close to something and touch it, to mend or mend, you can just as easily break it or take it somewhere else”, Brad Head said, managing director of the Elara Nova consulting company and a former Space Force officer, speaking on the SpaceNews podcast Space Minds. "And the industry is now capable of this and is in the process of development. So she changes the world".
IN 2021 year, the Chinese spacecraft named "Shijian-21", equipped with a robotic arm, successfully towed one of China's defunct navigation satellites to a "graveyard" orbit above geostationary orbit. It should be noted, that many vital communication systems operate in geostationary orbit, missile attack warning and Pentagon surveillance. China has described Shijian-21 as a space debris countermeasures system, but US officials viewed it as a potential anti-space weapon.
Meanwhile, Russia launched "inspector satellites", which maneuver near American spacecraft, which raises suspicions about the potential use of radio-electronic or kinetic warfare, aimed at US orbital vehicles. More recently, Chinese satellites, geostational orbit work, conducted maneuvers, which caused concern among the US military leadership. General Michael Getlein, Deputy Chief of Space Operations of the Space Forces, called some of these maneuvers "space battles" - a harsh description, which reflects potentially hostile intent.
Although China claimed, that many of these satellites are for scientific or peaceful purposes, dual use of technologies, that are used, and the lack of transparency about their capabilities have deepened US concerns. Meanwhile, in low Earth orbit, China is dramatically expanding its presence, planning to launch thousands of satellites as part of two communications mega-constellations. Although they are officially positioned as commercial satellites, American analysts claim, that there is no clear picture regarding that, who owns and operates them, or what missions they are intended for.
"Mission or payload capabilities not disclosed", - said Eric Eiler, an analyst at the LeoLabs space surveillance company, during a briefing at the Space Symposium. "It's also hard to tell the difference, which satellites are commercial, and which are owned and operated by the government". According to analysts, considering, that so many Chinese satellites will operate near US and allied facilities in low Earth orbit, the risk of conflict or errors in calculations increases. If even one of the Chinese spacecraft carried anti-satellite weapons, his search would be "like looking for a needle in a haystack", said Euler.
Kari Bingen, senior researcher on defense and security issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said, that the normalization of space as a sphere of military operations is now taking place. In past years, defense officials have been "much more reserved" on the issue, said Bingen. "It may be for reasons of classification, for political reasons", she said. "Just a year or two ago, when they talked about the need to deprive others of the right to use space, hinted at that, that we need to protect our space assets. Now those shackles are gone, and they do not bypass the need for space weapons".
"After the Cold War, we had 20 years of peace, when space was incredibly peaceful", said Colonel Joe Roth, director of innovation and prototyping at the Space Systems Command. “So we created a constellation, which were not so stable, as they should be today. Many of our decisions are driven by that, that China and Russia can now nullify our military and commercial capabilities in space".
In response, the US is considering commercially developed systems, able to maneuver and react quickly, and also have opportunities for inspection, supporting or interrupting the operation of satellites as needed. An example is Starfish Space's Otter spacecraft, the developer of which last year received a defense contract for 37,5 million dollars to demonstrate maintenance of satellites in geostationary orbit. Otter will dock with the client satellite and tow it to the 'junk belt' for disposal. The same technology can also help move active satellites. "This is a complex operation, which should be checked and verified, that she works", Roth said.
Another new system, that attracts attention, there is a "robot worm", developed by the Japanese space firm GITAI, which recently announced plans to expand its operations in the US. According to Roth, robot, designed to crawl over satellites for repairs or inspections, may have defensive applications. "I see some interesting opportunities: capture of another satellite, moving and docking for refueling or replacing components". Space Force officials are increasingly speaking openly about such possibilities. "Our potential adversary China is becoming defiant and aggressive", said Roth. He noted, that their satellite with robotic arms "could also capture one of our fully functional satellites".
Another example of technology, repurposed for defense, є ThinkOrbital, a startup from Colorado, which originally specialized in manufacturing in space, and who is working with the Space Force to adapt its electron beam instrument. This equipment was originally designed for industrial use as a remote control device. ThinkOrbital said, what, directing x-rays, generated by the tool, on target, you can see the middle of the satellites at a distance of 10 kilometers.
"We determined, that we can also use these X-rays, for the study of spaceships", Justin Chandler said, Vice President of Government Relations at ThinkOrbital. This possibility can be decisive, Chandler said, given US concerns that, that Russia can hide weapons inside satellites. “It would be great to be able to look inside a spacecraft and determine, have they posted anything, which poses a threat to the United States, of our allies and partners".
The company plans to conduct a demonstration in orbit at 2026 year, using two small spacecraft, each capable of emitting and detecting X-rays, to create a flexible inspection system, which can be quickly deployed to monitor suspicious satellites. According to Lieutenant General Philip Garrant, head of the Space Systems Command, observing outer space in orbit, especially with the use of systems, able to maneuver, becomes the main procurement priority. Most modern surveillance systems are carried out from the ground, he said. "To be effective, they must be able to maneuver, fly and look at interesting places".
Such mobility, according to him, is central to the US strategy to maintain superiority in space. Colonel Bryon McClain, which oversees the space awareness and combat power program, said, that research is currently underway to identify next-generation systems, which can replace the current observation satellites, such as the Geostationary Space Situational Awareness Program.
GSSAP satellites face limitations due to fixed fuel supplies, which hinders their ability to freely maneuver and perform inspection missions. McClain said, that financing new commercial systems to expand existing capabilities, probably, will be found in future budgets.
Although defense programs usually face bureaucratic obstacles, financial partners increasingly see military-space capabilities as a bright spot in the gloomy light of the commercial space sector. Venture capitalists and institutional investors note Pentagon's increased openness to offensive space operations, seeing the potential profitability, незважаючи на ширші економічні труднощі, заявив Чад Андерсон, засновник і керуючий партнер Space Capital, яка спеціалізується на інвестиціях у космос на ранніх стадіях. «Сектор космічної оборони, що розвивається, являє собою рідкісну можливість зростання на тлі поточної ринкової невизначеності», he said 15 April.
Андерсон вказав на кілька спільних факторів, які роблять військово-космічні програми привабливими для інвесторів. «Незважаючи на перешкоди, спричинені тарифною політикою та потенційними ризиками рецесії, космічні бойові дії є значним попутним вітром для галузі». Even in spite of that, що інші федеральні агентства стикаються з бюджетними обмеженнями, Пентагон дав зрозуміти, що космічні можливості залишаються пріоритетом фінансування, зазначив Андерсон. «Ви побачите набагато більше інвестицій від цієї адміністрації в цю сферу, як в наступальній, так і в оборонній сфері».
Source: https://spacenews.com/space-force-leans-into-a-warfighting-ethos-beyond-defense/