Russia, China, North Korea and Iran are developing anti-satellite capabilities

Russia and China are increasingly pursuing the ability to attack America’s space-based assets, but is there anything the Pentagon can do to thwart Beijing and Moscow’s ambitions?

Space-based capabilities like GPS, communications and reconnaissance satellites are the sinews that hold the U.S. military together, allowing American forces to operate across the globe.

Russia’s leaders also openly assert that Russian armed forces have anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, conduct ASAT research and employ satellite jammers.

Russia carried out the first successful flight test of a new anti-satellite missile in November, 2015 Russian state-run press reports have identified the mobile transporter-launcher for what is described as “a new Russian long-range missile defense and space defense intercept complex.” The weapon is “being developed within the scope of the Nudol OKR [experimental development project],” Novosti reported in 2014.

The new weapon is being developed by the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern.

Hyten, the Space Command commander, said he does not want to see conflict extend to space but also noted “we have to be able to defend ourselves.”

Hyten said several nations, including Russia, North Korea, China, and Iran, are developing anti-satellite capabilities.

China is developing hypersonic weapons and antisatellite weapons.

The US Space Fence program will work in conjunction with the rest of our space surveillance network to provide the Joint Space Operations Center or JSpOC, an integrated picture of the joint operating environment, providing significantly improved un-cued space surveillance capabilities. It will enhance US capability of tracking objects in low earth orbit.

The is relocating a C-Band radar to Australia—in order to provide low earth orbit coverage in the Southern altitude