Mike Stone

Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado (Reuters) – The United States tests satellite resilience to threats from China, Russia, and other countries miles above the Earth’s surface. This is just weeks after Russia downed an aging communication satellite.

Computer-aided simulations showed the possibility of U.S. satellite-tracking and satellite jamming being shot down, as well as other possible electronic warfare “effects”. Satellites have not been used in actuality.

Kathleen Hicks was visiting Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado. She saw the Space Flag space training simulation hosted by U.S. troops. The exercise was thirteenth in its kind and third that involved partners from Canada, Australia and Britain.

This week, Pentagon chiefs are on a tour of U.S. bases while Biden’s budget draft for 2023 takes shape. The Department of Defense wants to shift budget dollars towards a military capable of deterring Russia and China.

U.S. officials are now convinced that Russia’s successful anti-satellite missile testing has made it more difficult for America to defend its satellite network and allow the use of training programs like Space Flag.

Satellites provide vital communications for military purposes, as well as global positioning and navigation.

Space war games last for 10 days and are designed to show the U.S. capabilities in space. An adversarial team was assigned to create the appearance of an aggressor country with space capability like Russia and China.

Russia was not the first to carry out anti-satellite testing in space. It was 1959 when satellites weren’t common or new.