Biden's administration general cautions that the US cannot fight a space or cyber war if it goes against China, US military is fearful that they are too behind Russia and China in terms of space warfare weapons.
US Unprepared for Space Fight
US President Joe Biden had received a stark warning from his commanders, who informed him that the nation is poorly prepared to fight China in space when a crisis strikes, reported Express UK.
According to one official, the US is not in the same league as the PLA or Russia regarding advanced electromagnetic spectrum capabilities. Even now, it could happen in conflicts such as Russia-Ukraine, including tests of outer space weapons conducted by Beijing and Moscow.
Moscow tested a satellite killer a year ago to destroy a malfunctioning one. The anti-satellite test, or ASAT, shocked Washington, noted Foreign Policy.
Numerous pieces of space debris have been launched toward the International Space Station, compelling astronauts to seek refuge in their spacecraft for fear of being struck.
China Successfully Launches Hypersonic Glide Vehicle
Another nailbiter for the US Pentagon came in the form of hypersonic weapons; in particular, the Chinese hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) and fractional orbital bombardment system (FOBS).
FOBS is a warhead that goes into low earth orbit as its trajectory to reach its target, citing Financial Times.
Several officials spoke at the US Air Force Association's Air, Space, and Cyber Conference on Sunday, and they all agreed that Beijing had taken the lead and would not be able to catch up in a space or cyber war, warned the Biden administration's general, according to Air & Space Forces Association.
Based on the most recent Air & Space Forces Magazine, Lt. Gen. Leah G. Lauderback, the US Air Force's deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and cyber effects, said they are ill-prepared.
Another official, Lt. Gen. Kevin B. Kennedy Jr., commander of Air Forces Cyber, stressed the significance and immediacy of the threats faced by both Russia and China. He added the US is in indirect competition with the People's Republic of China in space and other theatres in modern combat.
China Advances in Space Technology
The officials were highly concerned about China's recent resurgence. Beijing established the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force in 2015, which was tasked with interacting with space and cyber functions, including information and electromagnetic warfare.
According to Space Force Brig. Gen. Gregory J. Gagnon, the Chinese are moving faster than expected. The United States should keep this in mind when making plans.
He points out that the PLA has 260 satellites, all pointed toward the Pacific Ocean, providing an early warning system to determine the timing of an attack on Chinese adversaries.
As said by DefenseNews, China's FOBS is just an unpredictable functionality that can stay in space for about as long as the user specifies and afterward de-orbit as it's a normal flight path.
The head of US Strategic Command, Adm. Charles Richard, gave a dire warning, saying the FOBS of China is fully tested and it's something uncommon in the world today.
He advised last month at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium that the military should now focus on revamping its missile defenses and creating better variants that can deal with threats taking aim at the United States.
Committing to space and cyber war will be unequal, said the Biden administration's general, stating the US cannot deal with how things are now.
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