US space force general warns foreign satellites practicing combat in space

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The General of the US Space Force has warned foreign satellites appear to be practicing combat in space, according to statements released at the McAleese Defense Programs Conferences held in Washington.

The comments come from Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael Guetlein, who said the US is currently developing new capabilities for warfare that's off-planet, with the goal being to assume "space superiority" over foreign nations such as China, Russia, and any other competing country. The main competitor here is China, as the general said officials have witnessed Chinese satellites performing maneuvers and displaying a level of control that is indicative of "dogfighting in space."

These maneuvers were first spotted by commercial satellites, and then the information was sent to Space Force. For quite some time, China has been expanding its presence in space with various satellites, and even the launch of a refueling station that was sent to geosynchronous orbit.

Moreover, it's believed China possesses anti-satellite rockets and has done so for nearly two decades, with the Chinese government even announcing in 2022 that it launched a satellite with a robotic arm. It wasn't long before skywatchers suggested this satellite had grabbed a dead satellite, resulting in it going "missing" for its orbital slot for a few hours.

"We observed five objects in space moving 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 in-orbit space operations from one satellite to another," said Guetlein

As for Russia, it was five years ago that both the US and UK accused Russia's space program of launching an anti-satellite spacecraft that tracked another Russian orbital vehicle. Guetlein described these systems as "nesting dolls."

There is also the growing fear of nuclear weapons being used in space, with Russia vetoing a UN degree to ban the development of space-designed nuclear weapons.

"We have heard President Putin say publicly that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space," said the then-US ambassador to the UN for special political affairs Robert Wood. "If that were the case, Russia would not have vetoed that resolution."

"What keeps me up at night is the pace at which the adversary threat is changing every single day. It is an eye-watering pace. It requires our guardians to be on their A game every single day. and they are absolutely killing it and doing everything they can do to guarantee space for the nation," said Guetlein