US General: China Using Satellites to Practice 'Dogfighting in Space'

A US general is warning that China and Russia are gaining ground in their efforts to develop anti-satellite weaponry, which includes using "dogfighting" tactics to stalk and attack US satellites.  “We're also now starting to see our near peers focusing on practicing dogfighting in space," says General Michael Guetlein, the vice chief for the US Space Force. "The environment has completely changed." According to Breaking Defense, Guetlein’s remarks referred to five Chinese satellites called Shiyan-24C and Shijian-6 05A/B that engaged in maneuvers in low-Earth orbit in 2024. “That's what we call dogfighting in space. They are practicing tactics, techniques, procedures to do on-orbit space operations from one satellite to another,” he added. Guetlein also noted that China previously used one satellite to "grapple" another satellite, giving the country a way to hold captured satellites "hostage." China's effort to bolster its anti-satellite capabilities might one day pose a threat to SpaceX’s Starlink and other US satellite constellations. Researchers in the country have called on the Chinese government to come up with ways to destroy and suppress Starlink over its potential surveillance capabilities.