US Fears ‘Bad’ Chinese, Russian Anti-Satellite Weapons – German Media

The US has more than 500 satellites in space which, according to Commander of the US Air Force Space Command John E. Hyten, are exposed to a major threat, as China and Russia have made significant progress in space research, Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten reported.

China in particular is expanding its space research activities and developing effective anti-satellite weapons. The country is continuing to carry out tests which US officials view as a potential threat to their country’s security. The US fears that China may carry out attacks on its satellites in the event of a conflict between the two nations.

China’s rapid advancement in the space field “is a bad thing for the United States, a bad thing for the planet,” Hyten told CBS news in late April.

While China continues its research activities, the US is preparing for a possible "Star Wars" scenario. The US is planning to spend ten times more on its space program than China and is continuing tests of its anti-satellite weapons, as a direct attack from China, according to US estimates, may come in five to ten years, DWN wrote.

Another threat to the US military space sector is Russia, Hyten said. The Russians have alarmed the Americans with photos their spy satellites taken between 2005 and 2010. Although the US government invested billions of dollars into their own spy satellites, it is still anxious about what Russia was seeking to achieve by publishing these pictures, the article said.