China and Russia’s threats in space to the United States have significantly increased in recent years, according to a new report from the Defense Intelligence Agency.
The report, titled Challenges to Security in Space — 2022, which was released Tuesday, details China and Russia’s efforts to militarize space in an attempt to “exploit the perceived U.S. reliance on space-based systems,” a readout from the agency notes. This report builds on the DIA’s initial 2019 report.
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“The loss of space-based communication and navigation services could have a devastating impact on warfighters during a conflict — that’s one of the most serious scenarios anticipated,” said DIA Director Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier. “A secure, stable, and accessible space domain is crucial as China and Russia’s space-based capabilities and electronic-warfare activities continue to grow.”
DIA officials told reporters that China and Russia would likely seek to “exploit” the moon for “natural resources” should they get the opportunity, as they would look to deny the U.S. space access.
China and Russia, between 2019 and 2021, have increased the number of operational space fleets collectively to have grown by 70%, and before that, they increased their combined satellite fleets by more than 200% from 2015 to 2018, according to the report.
Beijing has also doubled its launches per year and the number of satellites in orbit over the last decade, as well as placing three space stations in orbit and a robotic lander and rover on the far side of the moon. It is expected to “launch a range of satellites that substantially enhance its ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance] capabilities.”
“The combination of increasing counterspace capabilities — especially those of China and Russia — a general growth in numbers of space objects, and the proliferation of requirements for space-enabled services will make space an increasingly competitive and crowded environment for the foreseeable future,” the report read. “As the number of spacefaring nations grows and space and counterspace capabilities become more integrated into military operations, the U.S space posture will be increasingly challenged and on orbit assets will face new risks.”
The Chinese military conducted the first fractional orbital launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile with a hypersonic glide vehicle last July, and it “demonstrated the greatest distance flown (~40,000 kilometers) and longest flight time (~100+ minutes) of any Chinese land attack weapons system to date,” the report read.
Russia’s space program is more narrowly focused than China, and its budget is also more limited because Moscow has competing military priorities.
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America’s adversaries are looking to “position themselves as leading space powers, intent on creating new global space norms,” and “they aspire to undercut U.S. global leadership.”
Iran and North Korea are listed as “emerging challenges” in the report.
The Biden administration released its next defense budget proposal last month, and if passed, the legislation would provide the Space Force with $24.5 billion for next year, which represents approximately a 40% increase from last year’s request. The $3.6 billion procurement budget provides the funding for the Space Force to get three National Security Space launches, three launched by the Space Development Agency, and two launches that will put the GPS III satellites into orbit.
The Pentagon has repeatedly referred to China as its “pacing challenge” and has called Russia an “acute” one.
