The opportunities that Russia and China have in outer space raise concerns in Washington. This was stated by the commander of the US Space Force, General John Raymond, in an interview with The New York Times.
According to him, opponents understand how important the use of space systems is for the United States, therefore, they are developing technologies to deny Americans access to them. “Think of lasers that can blind or disrupt our systems,” said Raymond.
He added that Moscow and Beijing have laser installations of various capacities that can destroy or damage American satellites from Earth. In addition, countries have anti-satellite missiles and other systems. So, according to him, Moscow allegedly used a satellite designed to destroy US satellites in low Earth orbit. China also has a satellite that has a “robotic arm” to influence other devices.
“Both states have in-orbit capabilities that are troubling. All these threats are present at the moment. We are not talking about what will happen in the future, ”summed up the general.
In December 2020, the director of US national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, said that Russia is not a “responsible space power.” According to him, Russia, especially recently, behaved in outer space in a threatening and provocative manner, which created a potentially dangerous situation.
