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In brief: A top US Space Force official says that China has been practicing coordinated satellite maneuvers in low Earth orbit, describing the actions as “dogfighting in space.” He added that the capability gap between the US and its adversaries had significantly narrowed, warning that the service needed more resources to maintain space superiority.
The maneuvers, initially identified by commercial satellites, took place in 2024. They involved three Shiyan-24C experimental satellites and two Chinese experimental space objects, the Shijian-6 05A/B.
Speaking at the McAleese Defense Programs Conference in Washington this week, vice chief of space operations General Michael Guetlein said, “We observed five objects in space moving in and out and around each other in synchrony and in control.”
“That’s what we call dogfighting in space – they are practicing tactics, techniques and procedures to do in-orbit space operations from one satellite to another.”
As reported by Breaking Defense, a representative of Colorado-based space tracking firm LeoLabs confirmed it had observed the Chinese demonstration of rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) using its network of ground-based radar. The rep said there was another, ongoing case involving Russian satellites.
“The Russians are right in the middle of a three-spacecraft RPO,” the LeoLabs rep added.
Guetlein warned that China has a fleet of signal jammers in space. He highlighted other threats from the country and Russia, including anti-satellite weapons, satellites that can shadow US satellites, spoofing traffic, and satellites with grappling arms that can grab another satellite – something China is believed to have demonstrated in 2022. He also mentioned Russia’s development of a space-based nuclear weapon.
“Unfortunately, our current adversaries are willing to go against international norms of behavior, go against that gentleman’s agreement, and they’re willing to do it in very unsafe and unprofessional manners,” Guetlein said.
Space Force’s second in command said that the capability gap between the US and its near peers used to be massive thanks to the technical advancements of the United States, but that gap has been narrowing considerably in recent times.
Guetlein said the US continuing its off-Earth dominance will require a mix of private and military expertise. He called for more resources, including offensive weapons, a change in Space Force’s culture and training, and the purchase of new equipment.
News of the dogfighting satellites comes just as a short video briefly appeared on WeChat of China’s barge-like Shuqiao ships (above). A beach test shows how the ships can rise up on pylons and connect to each other using drop-down bridges, creating a loading dock almost a kilometer (0.6 miles) out to sea. It’s believed that this capability will help the People’s Liberation Army overcome all difficult landing conditions during an invasion of Taiwan.
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