Chinese satellites have been practicing coordinated space maneuvers, resembling “dogfighting.” Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein revealed these observations Tuesday at the McAleese Defense Programs Conference in Washington.
Guetlein stated that commercial satellite data tracked five objects moving in synchrony in low Earth orbit.
“With our commercial assets, we have observed five different objects maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchrony and in control. That’s what we call dogfighting in space,” he said. “They are practicing tactics, techniques, and procedures for on-orbit space operations.”
A Space Force spokesperson later confirmed that the incident occurred in 2024 and involved three Chinese Shiyan-24C experimental satellites and two Shijian-6 05A/B spacecraft. These satellites reportedly conducted rendezvous and proximity operations, which involve approaching, inspecting, or potentially interfering with other space assets.
Guetlein cited the satellite dogfighting demonstration as one of several troubling actions by U.S. “near-peer” adversaries. Guetlein also mentioned other space threats, including Russia’s 2019 “nesting doll” maneuver, where a satellite released a smaller spacecraft to track a U.S. asset.
He warned that adversaries are disregarding international norms and developing tactics that could compromise space security. “Unfortunately, our current adversaries are willing to go against international norms of behavior in very unsafe and unprofessional manners,” he said.
The general cautioned that the technological gap between the U.S. and its adversaries is narrowing. “That capability gap used to be massive,” Guetlein noted. “We’ve got to change the way we look at space or that gap may reverse in their favor.”
To maintain dominance, he stressed the need for cultural shifts, improved training, and increased investment in new technology. “We’re only going to be as good as the amount of resources that we’re willing to put towards space superiority.”
