The U.S. Space Force said China has practiced “dogfighting” using satellites.
Speaking at the McAleese Defense Programs Conference in Washington, D.C., Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein said China has conducted maneuvers with “synchrony” and “control,” Defense One reports.
“With our commercial assets, we have observed five different objects in space maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchrony and in control. That’s what we call dogfighting in space. They are practicing tactics, techniques, and procedures to do on-orbit space operations from one satellite to another,” Guetlein said.
“Unfortunately, our current adversaries are willing to go against international norms of behavior, go against that gentleman’s agreement, and they’re willing to do it in very unsafe and unprofessional manners,” he added, discussing anti-satellite technology and a space-based weapon being developed by Russia.
Guetlein noted that in order to fulfill its “space superiority” goal, the Space Force needs to adjust its training. “We’re only going to be as good as the amount of resources that we’re willing to put towards space superiority,” he stated.
“We’ve got to change our culture. We’ve got to change our training. We got to change our [tactics, techniques, and procedures], our [concept of operations]. We’ve got to change our kit going forward. Because this is the most complex and challenging strategic environment that we have seen in a long time—if not ever,” he explained, as per Air & Space Forces Magazine. “We need a credible fighting force, and we need the capability to deter and, if necessary, defeat aggression. That is the inflection point that you’re seeing today.”
