Counterspace

In order to understand why a counterspace capability will be critical in 2025, it is only necessary to look at recent developments which point to the explosive growth in usage of space assets worldwide. As both commercial needs and military missions are increasingly met via space systems, the ability to protect the sovereignty of US and friendly satellites will grow in importance.

AFDD 2-2.1 highlights the linkage between the concepts of space situational awareness (SSA) and counterspace operations, explaining that SSA "is the result of sufficient knowledge about space-related conditions, constraints, capabilities, and activities ... in, from, toward, or through space" (2). SSA accomplished by space surveillance, reconnaissance, the monitoring of the space environment, and collection/processing of space-systems intelligence provides the planner, commander, and executor the ability to develop counterspace courses of action.

Haney acknowledged that the July 2014 test (which China described as an "anti-missile technology experiment") did not actually hit a satellite, perhaps by design. "But just seeing the nature of these types of activities show how committed they are to a counter-space campaign," he explained.