U.S. Intelligence Agencies Warn of China’s Space-Based Directed-Energy Weapons Threatening Satellites

According to a report published by The War Zone on October 29, 2026, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has stated that by the end of this decade, China may be capable of deploying space-based directed-energy weapons to threaten a range of satellites. This would add a new and dangerous anti-satellite capability to Beijing’s arsenal. China already possesses ground-based directed-energy systems capable of interfering with, degrading, or destroying satellites. The release of this report on Monday offers further insight into an increasingly likely scenario: the growing risk of conflict in outer space.

The non-classified DIA report was primarily compiled from publicly available information, with data cutoff as of July of that year. Its purpose is to detail the escalating threats posed by China, Russia, and emerging actors such as Iran and North Korea to U.S. global interests in space. At the same time, the United States has become less reluctant to discuss its own counter-space capabilities. For instance, last month, U.S. military officials for the first time acknowledged publicly that weapons have been deployed in orbit.

The report, titled “Challenges to Space Security,” explains: “The People’s Liberation Army likely views directed-energy weapons as ideal anti-space platforms due to their ability to induce both reversible and irreversible effects on satellites. By the late 2020s, China may field space-based directed-energy systems as well as higher-powered ground-based systems capable of threatening satellites in higher orbits.”

The report does not specify whether China is developing lasers, high-power microwaves, particle beams, or a combination of these technologies.

Reversible attacks include disrupting satellite signals or temporarily blinding optical sensors—achieved, for example, through laser dazzlers.

The DIA notes that in 2021, Chinese military media “declared that laser weapons are entering a golden development phase; among their many operational uses, dazzling—i.e., temporarily blinding sensors—was explicitly mentioned.”

Irreversible damage can be inflicted through various means: using directed-energy weapons to burn holes in satellites via laser beams, or frying delicate electronic components with high-power microwaves; applying aerosol-based paints to solar panels; employing direct-ascent interceptors; detonating nuclear devices in space; or physically manipulating target satellites through another satellite in proximity.

In recent years, China has significantly expanded its number of operational satellites. The report states that as of July 2026, China’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) satellite constellation “comprises more than 510 systems, representing over a twofold increase since 2018. Although many of these reconnaissance satellites are officially designated for civilian and commercial use, their capabilities are dual-use, and combined with China’s military-civil fusion policy, this implies that data and imagery collected can be accessed by the People’s Liberation Army.”

Although details remain limited, the report reaffirms long-standing research within China’s academic community into space-based weaponry.

The DIA states: “At least since 2006, researchers affiliated with official institutions have been engaged in aerospace engineering studies related to space-based kinetic weapons—systems capable of striking targets on land, at sea, or in the air from orbit. Research in China on space-based kinetic weapons includes re-entry technologies, payload separation, launch vehicles, and transfer orbits used for targeting.”

The DIA adds that much of the PLA’s anti-satellite warfare doctrine “treats such systems as tools for deterring external intervention in regional conflicts and for managing escalation.” However, should China opt to initiate strikes, a primary objective would likely be U.S. and allied satellites underpinning space-based reconnaissance and communications. As previously noted, even reversible attacks on such space infrastructure could severely degrade the U.S. military’s operational effectiveness.

The DIA report mentions that currently known Chinese space-based anti-satellite capabilities are largely centered on platforms capable of close proximity operations, including capturing other satellites. This has been previously reported. One notable case observed in 2022 involved a Chinese satellite capturing another and maneuvering it out of its normal geosynchronous orbit into a “super graveyard drift orbit.” This maneuver sparked international speculation about the potential functions of such spacecraft—namely, the ability to approach, inspect, or manipulate other satellites—and further intensified concerns regarding China’s space activities.

The DIA concludes: “China and Russia will continue to develop and enhance their anti-space capabilities, exploiting the dependence of the United States and its allies on space assets.”

The agency adds: “China has developed and is likely to continue developing weapons capable of targeting satellites in orbit, aimed at disrupting, damaging, or destroying adversaries’ space capabilities. Russia currently possesses ground- and orbital-based systems capable of targeting low Earth orbit satellites and is actively pursuing systems designed to engage objects in higher orbits.”

Disclaimer: All equipment data cited herein originate from reporting by The War Zone.

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Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880335470080000/

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