Credit to Ashish Dangwal
May 31, 2024
Indo-Pacific Tensions: Top Commander Calls US Space Force In Japan A 'Priority' To Check China's Belligerence
https://lnkd.in/ggEuh8Cy
The United States Space Force is ‘prioritizing’ the establishment of a component field command in Japan as a strategic move to counter China’s growing capabilities, which pose a significant threat to American and allied forces in the Indo-Pacific region.
Brig. Gen. Anthony Mastalir, the US Space Force Indo-Pacific Commander, said in his speech at the Australian Space Summit and Exhibition in Sydney on May 28 that the US Space Force was closely collaborating with the Japanese government to establish a new command.
Highlighting the initiative’s strategic importance, he said that Keen Edge, the recent joint military exercises involving Japan, the US, and Australia, had already simulated the presence of a Space Force module in Japan.
The formation of the US Space Forces Japan would mirror the establishment of the US Space Forces Korea, which took place at Osan Air Force Base in December 2022.
US Space Forces Japan would serve as components under US Forces Japan, akin to US Space Forces Korea operating under US Forces Korea. Additionally, US Space Forces Indo-Pacific operates as a component under the unified combatant command of US Indo-Pacific Command.
The move highlighted the US Space Force’s efforts to widen its footprint in the region and enhance interoperability with regional allies to safeguard shared interests in space and beyond.
This collaboration was deemed vital due to the escalating competition with nations like China and Russia, particularly in space, which has become a crucial arena for strategic rivalry between the United States and China.
Beijing has advanced its capabilities in space significantly, developing various counter-space weapons such as ground-launched anti-satellite missiles, electronic warfare systems, and offensive satellites.
In response, US military officials have advocated the establishment of a “network of sensors” among allied partners.
One of the primary concerns for the US Space Force in the region is protecting US and allied forces from China’s “kill chain,” which refers to the Chinese military’s ability to detect, track, engage, and assess targets.
Mastalir explained that this “kill chain” poses a threat not only to US assets but also to allied forces. Over the past five years, China has expanded its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellite capabilities while investing in directed-energy weapons, space-based jamming technology, and ground-based anti-satellite missiles.
This expansion limits US intervention in areas like the South China Sea and the East China Sea. It also projects power within the second island chain, stretching from Japan to Guam and Papua New Guinea, according to Mastalir.
Read the full story here: https://spaceinsider.tech/2025/01/30/ascendarc-raises-4-million-to-challenge-leo-with-small-geo-satellites/