27 January 2016

Editorial: US Admiral Warns of China’s and Russia’s Growing Space Weapons Arsenal

An artists impression of an ASAT killing a satalite
By Franz-Stefan Gady

In a speech, the head of U.S. Strategic Command also warned of China’s long-range precision strike weapons program.

Speaking last week at an event hosted by the Center for a New American Security, the head of U.S. Strategic Command, Admiral Cecil D. Haney, struck a familiar tone when warning about Russia’s and China’s burgeoning space warfare capabilities.

“Once thought of as a sanctuary, space is more congested, contested, and competitive than ever, and it is becoming increasingly vulnerable. Other nations understand our reliance on space and the advantages we have reaped in defense and commercial sectors,” he noted.

“Adversaries and potential adversaries want to exploit those dependencies by turning them into vulnerabilities.” He cautioned that threats are evolving faster than the U.S. military ever imagined and that they could “potentially threatens national sovereignty and survival.”

Read the full story at The Diplomat