US escalates space defense as China aids Russia's satellite espionage

The United States is increasingly concerned about the growing space capabilities of Russia and China. American intelligence reports that Beijing has been providing Moscow with geospatial intelligence for some time. Chinese satellites are said to monitor activities not only in Ukraine but also within NATO territories. In response, the U.S. plans to deploy a new ground-based jamming system aimed at disrupting the transmission of information by Chinese and Russian satellites about U.S. forces during potential conflicts.

In April 2024, the U.S. warned its allies that China was escalating its support for Russia. This support reportedly includes sharing images from Chinese satellites, as well as supplying microelectronics, optics, and fuel for the Russian defense industry, including missile systems. According to Bloomberg, data from over 100 Chinese satellites, provided by companies like HEAD Aerospace and Spacety, was expected to bolster these efforts.

Bloomberg also highlighted how Russian state institutions and the Wagner Group had leased multiple Chinese satellites. These included high-resolution satellites Jilin-1 Gaofen 03D12 and 03D13, among other related services. The Russians reportedly spent over $30 million on these leases in 2022. Current U.S. concerns center on the ambitions of Russia and China to develop space weapons that could significantly impact U.S. national security. Reports suggest that both nations are getting closer to realizing these goals.

"Both Russia and China view the use of space early on, even before conflict, as important for deterrence or coercive capabilities," said Gen. Jeff Kruse, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), during the Aspen Security Forum. "We must be ready for this," he added.

In light of growing threats in space, Washington plans to deploy a new ground-based jamming system to prevent Chinese and Russian satellites from transmitting information about U.S. forces during conflicts. The U.S. Space Force will test this system at the beginning of 2024 in two locations. According to Bloomberg, the aim is not to jam the satellites' operations but to "responsibly counter the opponent's satellite communication capabilities that enable attacks."

According to a U.S. Space Force statement, 24 Remote Modular Terminal jammers will be deployed in undisclosed locations by the end of 2024. This system complements other satellite signal jamming weapons, including the Counter Communications System and Meadowlands. The U.S. maintains that this solution will block space attacks on the U.S. and its allies without destroying satellites, emphasizing that the system is purely defensive.

If this system is purely defensive, it stands in stark contrast to the solutions being developed by Russia and China. Moscow is reportedly working on nuclear space weapons. Astrophysicist Dr. Marcin Gawroński, speaking to WP Tech, emphasized that such weapons can be a double-edged sword, potentially leading to the destruction of all satellites, not just selected ones.

"Anti-satellite nuclear weapons are a double-edged sword. Their use is not about direct kinetic destruction but generating an electromagnetic pulse with high-energy particles that can damage or burn satellite electronics. While military satellites have varying levels of technological protections that are not disclosed, all communication, civilian observations, and scientific research near Earth could be destroyed," explained the expert.