The leaks of the Pentagon documents are still continuing, exposing new secrets day after day, and in the new it was revealed the extent of China’s ability to target, disrupt and even seize the United States’ network of surveillance and satellites orbiting in wartime.
A secret CIA document dated this year revealed China’s ability to “exploit or hijack” enemy satellites, according to the Financial Times.
Although talk of China developing Western anti-satellite technology has been reported in the past, the latest leaked report confirmed growing concerns about China’s focus on space warfare capabilities.
The latest leak also confirms concerns in the Pentagon that there are still classified files not yet in the public domain that could harm national security by exposing US intelligence assessments of a rival force’s combat capabilities.
jamming system
One of the electronic weapons highlighted in the document includes an elaborate jamming system to confuse and eventually neutralize satellites by simulating the signals they receive from ground station operators and causing them to malfunction.
This would enable China to “take control of a satellite, rendering it ineffective to support communications, weapons or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems”.
While the leaked document does not contain classified information about how the United States plans to counter China’s anti-satellite systems, it is no secret that the Pentagon, with its cyber and space command, is spending millions of dollars to counter this threat from China and Russia.
The United States also has an advanced program to develop advanced offensive electronic weapons and to improve defensive measures to protect satellites from attack by strengthening the materials used in their construction.
Likewise, like China and Russia, the United States has the ability to strike enemy satellite systems with missiles as well as electronic jamming technology. The United Kingdom also has advanced capabilities in the field of cyber weapons.
Last year, the United States was the first country to adopt a voluntary moratorium on destructive testing of anti-satellite missile systems.
Anti-satellite tests cause a huge cloud of debris in space, as Russia was condemned when it conducted a test to destroy an invalid satellite in low orbit in December 2021.
China has electronic warfare systems
The US intelligence community’s annual threat assessment, published last month, said China’s People’s Liberation Army was deploying “destructive and non-destructive ground-based and anti-satellite weapons.”
Ground weapons included “electronic warfare systems, laser-guided energy weapons and ASAT anti-satellite missiles designed to disable, damage and destroy targeted satellites”.
The PLA also held orbital technology demonstrations “proving China’s ability to operate distance-based anti-space weapons in the future.”
American satellite
While the United States has the most capable and comprehensive satellites in the world, hundreds of military and intelligence satellites are used to communicate via encrypted channels.
China and Russia
In addition to hitting enemy targets with accurate strikes, providing early warning of a nuclear attack, spying on other countries’ communications, and helping warships and combat aircraft navigate.
This is why China and Russia, especially the former, are investing so much in developing anti-space weapons to make US satellites vulnerable to attack.
The leaked document is one of at least 100 allegedly leaked by Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the US Air National Guard in Massachusetts.
He was arrested by the FBI last week and charged under the Espionage Act with removing, retaining and transmitting classified national defense information.
