New Anti-Satellite Weapons Now Officially A Top U.S. Priority

Key Points:

• U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM) emphasizes the critical need for credible offensive capabilities in space, including both kinetic and non-kinetic options, to deter adversaries and ensure survivability in potential orbital conflicts.
• Gen. Stephen Whiting highlighted integrated space fires and counter-proliferated low Earth orbit (pLEO) capabilities as top priorities for fiscal years 2029 to 2033, alongside improved command and control, situational awareness, and maneuverability of space assets.
• The U.S. military is responding to China’s rapid expansion of space-based intelligence and anti-satellite weapons, with concerns about threats from directed energy weapons, cyber attacks, and dual-use satellites like China’s SJ-21.
• Current U.S. offensive counter-space capabilities publicly include the ground-based Counter Communications System, while classified programs and experimental technologies such as robotic servicing satellites may have additional offensive roles.
• U.S. officials stress that space assets must be able to "shoot, move, and communicate" like other joint force elements, underscoring the importance of offensive counter-space measures to maintain space superiority and credible deterrence.