China's satellite 'dogfighting' signal shifts in space power
China has commenced conducting "dogfighting" between satellites in Earth's orbit as part of expanding its space capabilities, reported the U.S. Deputy Chief of Space Operations, General Michael Guetlein. According to him, both China and Russia are narrowing the technological gap in space technology.
Information from the United States Space Force presented on Tuesday at the McAleese defence programmes conference in Arlington revealed that "five objects were observed manoeuvring around each other in a synchronised and controlled manner" in orbit.
"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," said Guetlein, noting that these operations were documented thanks to publicly available commercial information sources.
The incident concerning the "dogfighting," mentioned by the Space Force representative, involved a series of Chinese manoeuvres from 2024, conducted using experimental satellites Shiyan-24C and Shijian-6 05A/B in low Earth orbit.
Possibility of destroying or damaging satellites
As reported by CNN, such technologies may enable China to destroy or damage satellites, potentially allowing the interruption of an opponent's communications or military operations, such as missile launches and detection. These kinds of actions could also disrupt global navigation systems – from banking operations to emergency service calls.
Answering a question about China and Russia, Guetlein noted that these countries have developed "exquisite" capabilities. He cited examples such as the use of satellite signal jamming, the ability to blind reconnaissance satellites with lasers, as well as manoeuvres involving intercepting satellites and moving them to another orbit.
He described this as "the most complex and challenging strategic environment that we have seen in a long time, if not ever."
There used to be a capability gap between us and our near peers, mainly driven by the technological advancement of the United States … that capability gap has significantly narrowed, he stated.
Manoeuvres performed near other satellites can be evidence of "the development of a counterspace weapon," said Clayton Swope, Deputy Director of the Space Security Project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Possibility of launching a laser, net, or missile
According to him, getting close to another satellite means that "you could potentially grab it, launch a net or projectile at it, or use an energy weapon, like a laser or jammer."
However, as noted by the expert, such manoeuvres can also serve to refuel or service satellites, as well as to photograph objects. He also added that China is sending "more and more satellites that demonstrate the ability to conduct sophisticated manoeuvres."
