U.S. Intel Warns China's Space-Based Directed Energy Weapons Could Soon Threaten Satellites

Key Points:

• The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) warns that by the late 2020s, China may deploy space-based directed energy weapons (DEWs) capable of threatening satellites in higher orbits, adding to its existing ground-based anti-satellite (ASAT) arsenal.
• China’s satellite fleet has more than tripled since 2018, with over 510 intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) satellites as of mid-2026, many of which have dual-use capabilities that support military objectives under China’s military-civil fusion policies.
• Directed energy weapons can cause reversible effects like jamming or temporarily blinding satellites, as well as non-reversible damage such as permanent destruction via lasers or high-power microwaves; China is also exploring spaceplane platforms for these weapons.
• The report highlights ongoing threats from Russia, Iran, and North Korea, noting Russia’s ground-based laser systems and daily reversible attacks on U.S. satellites, while also acknowledging U.S. deployment of on-orbit weapons for space control purposes.
• Attribution of attacks in space remains challenging due to satellite malfunctions and the covert nature of directed energy strikes, raising risks of delayed or inadvertent military responses amid growing competition in space warfare capabilities.