The U.S. Space Force is evaluating its orbital weapons capabilities as part of its future force design and budget planning, but the service is not ready to disclose details about the types of weapons it has deployed in orbit, according to Chief of Space Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess.
Speaking during a Nov. 4 webinar hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Schiess said the Space Force is examining how its orbital weapons capabilities fit into the service’s future plans.
“We at this time are not going to talk about what kind of weapon that we have in orbit or the mix of weapons that we have across the whole force,” Schiess said. “What I would tell you is we are looking at that from a force design perspective and what that looks like for the future.”
He said those considerations will help inform the service’s upcoming budget decisions.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink revealed in September that the U.S. military has weapons deployed in orbit, bringing greater attention to the military’s space control capabilities. Meink did not disclose details about the systems.
Russian satellite incident highlights importance of space awareness
Schiess pointed to a recent incident involving a Russian satellite maneuvering near a commercial satellite as an example of why the Space Force must maintain awareness of activity in orbit to protect U.S. and allied space assets.
The incident involved Russia’s Cosmos 2612 satellite and a satellite operated by ICEYE, a Finnish company that provides space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to governments.
“That’s an example there of other nations, potential adversaries, using space to be able to message to others that ‘Hey, we have a capability,’ and that we have to take … [into account] what does that mean for us and what does it mean for our allies and partners,” Schiess said.
Schiess said the Space Force tracked the Russian satellite’s activity and coordinated with U.S. Space Command to assess its implications for the United States and its allies.
“We were watching that, and we will continue to learn from it. And our intel folks, along with the intelligence community, we’re making sure that we get lessons learned from that,” Schiess said.
ICEYE operates a constellation of commercial synthetic aperture radar satellites that collect imagery for intelligence and surveillance missions. Its technology has supported Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Earlier this year, ICEYE announced an agreement to expand its space-based intelligence support for the Ukrainian armed forces.