ORLANDO, Fla.—As China ramps up its deployment of spy satellites, concerns are spreading across the U.S. Space Force. Regarding recent launches involving optical and radar surveillance spacecraft, U.S. officials have dismissed Chinese claims that the satellites are primarily used for civilian and commercial purposes.
Speaking at the Space Mobility Conference on January 30, Chief Master Sergeant Ron Larch of the Space Systems and Military Intelligence Directorate said it was alarming that China’s military space reconnaissance capabilities were rapidly advancing. .
Lerch said U.S. analysts have been tracking a recent spate of Chinese remote-sensing satellite missions and piecing together open-source information, saying the spacecraft are giving the People’s Liberation Army an unprecedented eye in space. and warned that it tracks the activities of the United States and its allies in the Asia-Pacific. and other hotspots.
He noted that China has deployed a large number of reconnaissance satellites in recent years. However, Lerch noted that China launched a secret optical satellite, Yaogang-41, into geostationary orbit in December, three Yaogang-39 reconnaissance spacecraft in September, and the world’s first geostationary orbit synthetic satellite in August. He specifically mentioned possible launches. Aperture radar satellite, Ludi Tance-4. Unlike optical sensors, SAR satellites can see through clouds and at night.
Chinese officials said the Ludi Tance-4 is intended for civilian applications such as forestry and disaster response.
Lerch painted a different picture, saying all of these capabilities point to military applications, particularly high-resolution reconnaissance across the Asia-Pacific and other strategically important regions.
Track US movements
He said China has so far launched 15 types of Yaogang ‘triplets’. “China has been fairly quiet about what exactly these systems will provide.”
This growth in the satellite fleet, combined with China’s advancements in hypersonic weapons and anti-satellite technology, is causing anxiety within the U.S. defense establishment. Officials say the ability to track and monitor U.S. movements in the region, from troop deployments to vessel movements, could tip the scales significantly in China’s favor in the event of a potential conflict. It suggests that there is.
Experts also fear that China’s satellite network could be used to conduct economic espionage, monitor critical infrastructure, and even influence public opinion through targeted satellite-based disinformation campaigns. are doing.
U.S. military leaders said in a recent policy guidance document that commanders should take aggressive steps aimed at complicating China’s overhead photography efforts.
The United States maintains its own formidable space intelligence agency through the National Reconnaissance Office, which develops and operates sophisticated reconnaissance satellites with capabilities largely unknown to the public.
Lerch said it is important for the U.S. military to understand China’s space ambitions and how the People’s Liberation Army can use satellites in military conflicts. “That’s why these are issues that we consider so urgent,” he added. “There doesn’t seem to be anything that suggests a relationship between Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party.” [Chinese Communist Party] Speed is decreasing. ”
Clayton Swope, a senior fellow in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that China’s space surveillance capabilities have been tracked by U.S. intelligence agencies for years. He noted that China’s more advanced reconnaissance satellites “could play an important role in first-strike scenarios by locating and assisting targets of key U.S. and allied platforms.” .
“Clouds will still obscure optical space-based systems and AI algorithms will make mistakes, but with China’s relentless advances in surveillance capabilities, there may soon be nowhere to hide in the Indo-Pacific,” Swope said. ” he wrote.