Leaked US documents show that China is developing the ability to hijack and destroy enemy satellites as part of its effort to become the preeminent superpower in space by 2045.
The information comes from a recently leaked Pentagon treasure that traces it back to a 21-year-old US Air Force National Guard cyber officer.
Read more about the Pentagon leak: The US rushes to investigate leaks of classified military information.
A classified CIA document says China’s efforts focus on the ability to “seize control of satellites and disable their ability to support communications, weapons, or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.” It states that FT.
To do so, such systems aim to impersonate legitimate signals that satellites receive on the ground and from each other, tricking them into hijacking for remote control or causing them to malfunction during combat. The report claims
Such an effort would go far beyond anything seen so far. Russia is trying to jam signals from low-orbit Starlink satellites used by the Ukrainian military, and also compromised Viasat routers ahead of its February 2022 invasion.
In a sign of the growing strategic and military importance of satellites for communications during conflicts, the Kremlin recently warned that cyberattacks on its own systems would be treated as an act of war.
Chance Saltzman, the U.S. Space Command’s director of space operations, told Congress last month that China was likely developing anti-satellite technology that could be weaponized during war.
He said the Chinese military has reportedly launched 347 satellites, including 35, in the past six months and has taken U.S. assets, including “grappling” satellites that can pull U.S. spacecraft out of orbit. claimed to be targeted.
News of China’s growing capabilities in space is also a concern for Taiwan, which assumes its larger neighbor will seek to sabotage its communications capabilities during an anticipated invasion in the next few years. ing.
of FT The island nation that China claims is seeking to establish its own network of satellites and receivers to mitigate threats and maintain internet connectivity during the conflict, it reported in January.
