Space Force official warns China is practicing satellite "dogfighting" in space

In brief: A top US Space Force official says that China has been practicing coordinated satellite maneuvers in low Earth orbit, describing the actions as "dogfighting in space." He added that the capability gap between the US and its adversaries had significantly narrowed, warning that the service needed more resources to maintain space superiority. The maneuvers, initially identified by commercial satellites, took place in 2024. They involved three Shiyan-24C experimental satellites and two Chinese experimental space objects, the Shijian-6 05A/B. Speaking at the McAleese Defense Programs Conference in Washington this week, vice chief of space operations General Michael Guetlein said, "We observed five objects in space moving in and out and around each other in synchrony and in control." "That's what we call dogfighting in space - they are practicing tactics, techniques and procedures to do in-orbit space operations from one satellite to another." As reported by Breaking Defense, a ... Read full article.