General David Thompson: Russia and China attack US satellites daily The Deputy Chief for Space Operations of the US Space Force, General David Thompson, told The Washington Post about this.
According to Thompson, American satellites are regularly attacked. Russia and China use non-kinetic means that cause temporary damage. He added that lasers, electronic means and cyberattacks are used to influence satellites.
A spokesman for the US Space Force noted that Russia and China are developing satellites that can attack other spacecraft. In turn, the PRC is developing an orbiter for capturing enemy satellites using a manipulator.
Thompson added that in 2019 Russia tested an armed satellite near an American spacecraft. “He maneuvered at close range, he maneuvered dangerously, he maneuvered, creating a threat, and they approached each other close enough to create the danger of a collision,” the general said.
Earlier, the head of the Roscosmos state corporation Dmitry Rogozin announced the need for anti-satellite weapons. He suggested that the wars of the future would begin in outer space.
On November 15, Russia tested anti-satellite weapons. The press service of the Ministry of Defense reported that during the tests, the ammunition hit the inoperative Tselina-D spacecraft.