Press releases from US Department of Defense or allied defense ministries

US Space Force Chief Saltzman Warns of China's 'Mind-Boggling' Space Militarization

Nov 2, 2024, 01:23 AM

The chief of the US Space Force has warned that China is rapidly expanding its military capabilities in space at a 'mind-boggling' pace, significantly increasing the risk of warfare in orbit. General B. Chance Saltzman highlighted that the variety of space weapons and the speed at which Beijing is developing them are very threatening, noting that China's technology is more concerning than reports of Russian space nukes. He emphasized that Washington must cooperate with allies to counter threats from China and Russia. China has deployed multiple categories of space weapons, including systems capable of targeting satellites. Both Russia and China have tested satellites with grappling hooks and kinetic kill vehicles designed to disable or destroy other satellites. Additionally, Russia is developing an 'indiscriminate' nuclear weapon for space.