US Department of Defense Leadership Mobilized Over China-Russia 'Provocations'... What Happened? [Reading Science]

Two-Day Meeting on 6-7th Discusses Countermeasures Against China-Russia Space Threats
Minister and Vice Minister, Key Officials from Defense Policy Committee Attend

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] What is the virtual war scenario that the world's strongest power, the United States, fears the most? The U.S. is one of the very few major powers in the world that does not share borders with hostile countries. A deadly ground war on its own soil is unlikely to occur. The problem lies in the more than 10,000 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) possessed by China and Russia. This is why the U.S. has established a missile early warning system since the 1960s, consisting of intelligence surveillance satellites and ground radar networks. However, recently China and Russia have been developing missiles and spacecraft capable of attacking satellites in space, threatening this system. After observing the situation for some time, the U.S. has begun actively preparing countermeasures starting this year, including the establishment of a dedicated Space Force unit. Next week, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) leadership will convene in full force to discuss this issue, drawing significant attention.

According to U.S. space media Space.com and defense publication Defense News on the 3rd, the U.S. Department of Defense plans to hold a two-day meeting on June 6-7, with high-ranking officials including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, and former national security officials from the Defense Policy Board, to discuss the space weapon threats posed by China and Russia. Defense News reported, "This meeting will explore whether China and Russia's development of orbital bombardment systems and ground-attack space weapons can undermine U.S. deterrence and strategic stability, as well as seek U.S. responses to similar weapons developed by hostile countries."

This meeting is interpreted as a signal that the U.S. is beginning to take active measures against China and Russia's space weapon development. In fact, China developed a fractional orbital bombardment system (FOBS), including hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs), last October, equipping itself with weapons capable of attacking satellites in low Earth orbit. Additionally, in February, China launched the Shijian-21 satellite and successfully conducted an experiment to track and dock with a malfunctioning Chinese satellite, then move it to a "satellite graveyard orbit." Although described as "space debris cleanup," it can effectively be used as an anti-satellite weapon. China is also known to possess direct attack means such as directed energy weapons like lasers and air- and ground-launched anti-satellite intercept missiles. Moreover, China is reportedly developing spacecraft similar to the U.S. X-37B, capable of long-term operation in low Earth orbit with the ability to frequently change direction and altitude for free maneuvering.

Russia is no different. On November 21 last year, Russia conducted a successful anti-satellite missile test, shattering one of its own malfunctioning satellites in a show of force against the U.S. This created tens of thousands of debris fragments forming a cloud, causing the nearby International Space Station (ISS) to perform avoidance maneuvers, yet Russia remains indifferent to the damage caused.

For the U.S., which is currently experiencing heightened tensions with China and Russia, the possibility of its missile early warning system being attacked has become greater than ever. The U.S. has recently taken steps such as establishing a dedicated unit under the Space Force for tracking and monitoring space objects as part of its countermeasures. Relatedly, U.S. Space Force Vice Commander David Thompson stated in an interview with The Washington Post last year, "U.S. satellites are attacked daily," and "The U.S. now faces a situation where various means exist that could threaten its space systems." The recent annual reports from the U.S. Space Force and Air Force, warning "We are falling behind China," and emphasizing aggressive space development policies, budget investments, and strengthened public-private cooperation, are understood to be rooted in this sense of crisis.