U.S. military begins preparations for space warfare

With the rapid advancement of technology, modern-day battlefields are shifting away from the traditional triage of land, air, and water, and moving towards a new frontier: space. 

More than ever, humans’ lives rely on satellites in outer space. They are essential for many daily activities, including bank transactions, stock market monitoring, and television viewing. In recent years, however, Russia and China have launched weapons that are able to take down and destroy satellites in orbit. Thus, the United States’ military has begun to equip itself with adequate defenses for future galactic conflicts. 

America’s main opponents, Russia and China, have recently extended their competition with the U.S. above the atmosphere. Russia has deployed satellites able to grab onto and disable American satellites. Additionally, “Shiyan,” a Chinese satellite, has been equipped to knock U.S. satellites out of orbit. These weapons, along with ground-based missiles and lasers, pose a great danger to U.S. space interests. In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, for example, Russia has already threatened to target American commercial satellites. 

As Russia and China continue to make advancements in space-related weapons, the U.S. is rushing to catch up. The 2024 annual budget proposal for the U.S. Space Force has grown to $30 billion, around $4 billion more than the 2023 budget. The Space Force, established in 2019 as the sixth arm of the military, was carved out of the Air Force with a focus on defending U.S. interests in space. 

What makes this year’s budget increase special, though, is its focus on training its members, called Guardians, for combat. According to the Wall Street Journal, the physics and high speed of approximately 17,000 mph of space travel give attackers an advantage over those targeted by shortening their time to act. This extremely high speed also means that any attack will require extensive planning, training, and materials, which the U.S. Space Force will continue to support in order to prepare for space warfare. 

While the idea of fighting in space might conjure up mental images of Star Wars or other sci-fi films complete with lightsabers and telekinesis, realistic space warfare will not be this dramatic. First, it is unlikely that human crews will be directly involved in any conflict. Between the speed and the physics of orbit, it will be near impossible for physical fighting to occur. 

Because this, the Space Force’s training methods will primarily focus on developing tactics to counter and defeat various technological adversaries. However, it is important to note that space technology and its capabilities are growing and changing rapidly, and these training methods are still in the preliminary stages.

Going forward, the advancements made for space warfare may extend to war on Earth. The destruction of enemy satellites could be used to preempt a ground attack by cutting off vital systems relying on said satellites. Contact would be lost with military drones, bombs, and other missiles, as well as nuclear early warning systems for parts of the world. Without satellites, targeted countries would lose contact with overseas allies. 

Additionally, civilians would feel the loss of mobile networks and Internet access, essential weather data needed for airplane pilots, GPS navigation systems, and much more. With all this in mind, it is clear how Earth-based conflict could begin with a space-based conflict. 

With such rapidly growing technology, space warfare will continue to be a growing focal point for the U.S. and its Space Force. In the growing competition with Russia and China, the U.S. is making sure to innovate its own defense systems in case of attack. Faced with such a dynamic and unexplored threat, the U.S. faces the daunting task of staying one step ahead.