Congress recently issued a report explaining that China is developing space technologies to block U.S. military communications. According to the Bloomberg article, the program is part of China’s President Xi Jingping’s “China Dream” strategy of strengthening national power and reshaping the Asia-Pacific political environment into one in which its interest are given greater attention.
China’s goal is to become a space power to the extent of the United States and to develop its space industry equal to those in the U.S., Europe, and Russia. This has negative-sum consequences for U.S. military security, University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation said in the report. Further, the U.S. – China Economic and Security Review Commission explained China’s development of space technologies will allow it to more effectively wield international power.
President Obama requested for a 7.7 percent increase to $534.3 billion in the Defense Department budget. Top U.S. intelligence officials warned last week that China’s space program threatens U.S. military communications. Moreover, if China sticks to its space program, by 2030 it will have a new line of advanced launch vehicles, a robust, space-based command and control network and more capable electronic intelligence communication satellites, the report said.
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-02/china-space-plans-threaten-u-s-military-ability-report
This is indeed a problem for US military superiority. The classic trope of the US being efficient and technologically superior facing off against a numerically superior, yet outdated Chinese military may be changing if a Chinese space program continues. While such a program would probably be beneficial to global scientific research and technological growth – I do not see the United States taking kindly to a Chinese ability to affect US satellite effectiveness.
I agree that these actions will be met with a strong reaction by the US. I worries me that the Chinese have made this a goal of theres, since we, the US, have seen first hand the speed with which a space objective can become a reality. This makes me wonder if the government will start putting more money back into some of the space programs to try and out maneuver/position ourselves to stay ahead of China. Either way this will be an interesting time to watch as this develops
I do not find it at all clear that “military superiority” is useful in a era where individuals and small groups can wreak havoc. I think if we look, shootings of 3 or more in the US have killed and maimed far more than all domestic terrorism combined since 9/11. Our military superiority has tempted us into wars with no clear objective for victory and no ability to distinguish friend from foe. Being #2 might be healthier for all.
We need to be careful, however, because there are vested interests on both sides with aiming for bigger and better, and for exaggerating threats. It’s simply good business. China has a military-industrial complex that was even more powerful than ours, given that there are still veterans around from the war against Chiang Kai-shek and his foreign imperialist backers. I thus find it interesting that President Xi as Chairman of the Central Military Commission seems to be asserting civilian control over the military, including forcing the retirement of many in the senior leadership. Today we in the US have a Pentagon insider in charge of the Pentagon.