Sandra Erwin
Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, warned that the U.S. is in a fast-moving race to defend its orbital assets, driven by growing threats from China. Speaking April 8 at the annual Space Symposium, Whiting outlined the command’s strategy to deter space-based aggression — including preparing for the once-unthinkable war in space.
“Our opponents, most notably China, have accelerated the terrestrial and on-orbit space weapons, expanded their space-enabled kill chains, and are moving at breathtaking speed,” Whiting told attendees.
He emphasized that while the U.S. does not seek conflict in space, it is preparing for it to prevent adversaries from gaining an upper hand. “There has never been a war in space, and we don’t want a war to start in space or to extend into space, and war in space is not inevitable,” Whiting said. Still, he added, “there is no longer any debate that space is a war fighting domain.”
U.S. Space Command, established in 2019 and headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, is one of the military’s unified combatant commands. While it doesn’t procure weapon systems directly, it plays a key role in shaping the Pentagon’s requirements and directing technology efforts through partnerships with private industry and allied governments.
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