Both sides are competing for a quick release advantage in a spy satellite race between the US and China.
As part of a larger effort to increase satellites for intelligence and military targeting, the US Space Force ( USSF ) and the National Reconnaissance Office ( NRO ) are planning to construct a number of low-earth orbit ( LEO ) targeting satellites.
This month, the satellites will provide Moving Target Indication ( MTI), which will assist troops tracking targets while they are on the ground or in space. They are expected to replace outdated US Air Force aircraft, which officials claim wo n’t survive in a hostile environment.
Gregory Gagnon, the evil chief of area operations for intelligence, did not specify how many satellites would be required or when they would start.
According to the source, he did provide the fundamental principles for how they would operate and how USSF Guardians would use them to support hero commanders all over the world.
The USSF is currently developing proliferated stars to store information and track Lion missiles, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine.
A potential adversary wo n’t be able to shoot down enough satellites to sabotage the network, which would prevent it from trying in the first place.
The USSF will likely need to purchase dozens of small satellites to have a targeting solution because spacecraft in LEO ca n’t stay in one location and require several to maintain consistent, persistent coverage of an area.
Compared to surveillance aircraft, satellites have advantages. In September 2023, Asia Times noted that the US plans to move significant intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance ( ISR ) capabilities from planes to satellites.
Compared to plane, satellites are less costly to work, do not require huge support crews and are less prone to lengthy- range missiles.
War and surprise attacks are less common in nations with space-based ISR. Hitting spy satellites in space could lead to issue because it is difficult to conceal espionage there.
However, satellites also have many vulnerabilities such as cyberattacks, high launch and replacement costs, anti- satellite ( ASAT ) weapons and space debris.
A threat to US near-peer enemies and rogue states is also the development of space-based ISR capabilities.
The NRO is acquiring a cluster of thousands of ISR spacecraft from SpaceX in order to track targets for earth procedures, according to a report from The Warzone in March 2024.
According to The Warzone, the job resembles the very secret space-based radar surveillance program of the USSF. It mentions that SpaceX’s state sales- focused business system, Starshield, is working on the new Edward spy satellites under a US$ 1.8 billion deal received in 2021 from NRO.
Although SpaceX has been launching related prototype satellites since 2020, the constellation’s functional start date is ambiguous. The satellites will be able to work in a swarm and have Earth-imaging capabilities.
They will most likely have capabilities for ground-based ballistic missile launchers used by Russia and China, such as ground moving target indicators ( GMTI ) and synthetic aperture radar ( SAR ).
This type of sensor has the advantage of providing continuous protection and imagery while also obscuring cloud cover at night.
A system of spy satellites, according to The Warzone, may enable adversaries to track down their activities and guarantee uninterrupted protection of the Earth.
Targets can be found more quickly using machine learning and AI, and handling and variety can be done autonomously. Additionally, a distributed star of satellites would be more resistant to angry problems.
China is breaking the US’s monopoly on long-range satellite-based long-range targeting, according to a report from Defense One this month. The country is creating a large architecture of remote- sensing satellites to aid in the defense of Taiwan during a conflict.
In the past two decades, China has launched more than 400 satellites, with the majority being for Western Pacific Earth assessment and security, according to Defense One. Since the launch of its military place arm in 2015, the nation’s on-orbit possessions have increased by 550 %.
Illustrating China’s advances in surveillance satellite technology, Defense One mentions that last year China launched Ludi Tance- 4, the world’s first geosynchronous orbit ( GEO ) satellite with a SAR payload.
Satellite operators need the ability to rapidly deploy and exchange disabled, damaged, or older satellites to provide important space- based services like as communication, ISR and targeting.
In line with that, China may have outperformed the US  in terms of its ability to replace satellites that have been damaged or destroyed quickly during a fight, known as a tactically responsive place launch ( TRSL).
This condition may have been caused by the different telescope start strategies used by the US and China. In order to deploy as many satellites as possible in a single start, US dish capabilities emphasize payload capacity, reliability, and effectiveness.
This approach has resulted in the creation of big, liquid-fueled rockets that require sophisticated ground support equipment and sophisticated positioning and fueling procedures.
In comparison, China has focused on developing smart, strong- fuel rockets that do not need complicated launch infrastructure. These smaller rockets are ideal for replacing damaged or destroyed satellites because they can start from far away and bring as many as their liquid-fuel counterparts.
Although using different strategies, the US and China both exploit their industrial space sectors to boost space-based ISR and targeting abilities.
Andrew Erickson noted in June 2022 that the military-civil fusion (MCF ) strategy emphasizes dual-use technologies, such as satellites, for military purposes.
The People’s Liberation Army’s Strategic Support Force ( PLA-SSF), also known as the Information Support Force ( PLA-ISF), has reportedly collaborated with Chinese business space companies.
However, in a November 2023 essay for The Strategist, Ashley Lin notes that China’s human place companies will be integrated into its defense ISR capabilities in war.
China views such capabilities as decisive in future high- intensity conflicts, especially in a Taiwan invasion. Recently, China’s commercial Taijing 4- 03 SAR satellite took highly detailed photos of US Naval Base Norfolk along with US carriers and warships, highlighting its potential targeting capabilities.
Overt Defense reported last month that the US Department of Defense ( DOD ) had released its first strategy to integrate commercial space capabilities, focusing on collaboration and technological advancements, in a resemblance to China’s MCF strategy.
The document outlines a balance of government and commercial solutions, interoperability, resilience and adherence to international norms and standards in space.
Overt Defense points out that the USSF developed a more in-depth strategy that specified the minimum capabilities needed to be acquired through commercial partnerships following the DOD.
The commercial sector’s broad surveillance services and analytical abilities are needed to support the USSF’s Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking ( TacSRT ) needs.