China is deploying robotic space systems capable of attacking other satellites, according to the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, which says the country's rapid expansion of its space program has created a significant security risk. The agency's assessment points to satellites that can function as weapons, a development that has raised concern among American defense analysts about the stability of orbital activity.
The warning comes as China has more than tripled its space launches, a pace that has allowed it to put a growing number of spacecraft into orbit. Military analysts have long argued that the same satellites that support communications, navigation and surveillance can be turned against rivals, either by disabling or interfering with other spacecraft. The Defense Intelligence Agency's findings suggest that this capability is no longer hypothetical.
The concern extends beyond the immediate threat to satellites. Many modern militaries depend heavily on space-based systems for targeting, early warning and communications, which means that interference with those assets could affect operations on the ground and at sea. Defense planners in Washington have been watching China's launch activity closely as part of a broader competition with Beijing over military technology.
China's space activities have grown alongside its wider economic and technological ambitions. Officials in Beijing have generally described the country's space program as peaceful and focused on scientific research, commercial services and national development. U.S. officials, by contrast, have increasingly framed the expansion as a potential military challenge, particularly as satellites become central to modern warfare.