By Shannon Tiezzi
The head of U.S. Strategic Command pointed to China’s counter-space capabilities as an area of concern.
China’s ability to wage war in space is a major concern for the United States, a U.S. admiral said this week. Admiral Cecil D. Haney, commander of U.S. Strategic Command (the command force responsible for U.S. nuclear forces and missile defense), made the remarks in a press briefing at the Department of Defense on Tuesday.
Haney referenced Chinese missile tests designed to target satellites in low-earth orbit, one in July 2014 and one in 2007. Haney said the U.S. watched the 2007 test “with astonishment,” noting that the successful destruction of the targeted satellite “created just thousands and thousands of pieces of debris that we are confronted with even today.”
Haney acknowledged that the July 2014 test (which China described as an “anti-missile technology experiment”) did not actually hit a satellite, perhaps by design. “But just seeing the nature of these types of activities show how committed they are to a counter-space campaign,” he explained.
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