China amassing arsenal of anti-satellite weapons

After the manifestation of power on Earth_ this time China's focus is on space. China is developing electronic warfare capabilities such as satellite jammers_ offensive cyber capabilities and directed-energy weapons the Pentagon says in a new report released. China already has operational ground-based missiles that can hit satellites in low-Earth orbit and  probably intends to pursue additional ASAT weapons capable of destroying satellites up to geosynchronous Earth orbit. According to the report_ The PLA continues to acquire and develop technologies including kinetic-kill missiles_ ground-based lasers_ and orbiting space robots_ as well as expanding space surveillance capabilities which can monitor objects in space within their field of view and enable actions. When the findings of the report are juxtaposed with India s own capabilities_ the latter appears to be lagging behind_ both economically and militarily_ even as Isro and DRDO are both working towards enhancing strategic capabilities_ including laser weapons. For instance_ by the end of 2018_ China had a reconnaissance and remote-sensing fleet consisting of more than 120 satellites designed to collect data for civil_ commercial_ or military owners as well as operators and PLA owns half of this. Comparatively_ India has about 10% of this in its remote sensing constellation. With multiple launches late last year_ including the Cartosat-3_ India has 19 such satellites orbiting actively_ according to Isro. Also_ while India too has displayed its anti-satellite ability last year (China did it in 2007)_ its space programme lags behind in several other aspects. The chinese government_ according to the Economic Survey 2019-2020_ has spent 7 times more than India on its space programme. The amount of which 11 billion Doller. while other global reports show that China has been more aggressively launching military satellites compared to India. China s space industry_ historically managed by the PLA_ is rapidly expanding its intelligence_ surveillance_ and reconnaissance (ISR)_ navigation and communication satellite constellations. The PLA Strategic Support Force s (SSF) strategic space_ cyber_ and psychological warfare capabilities and missions are not bound by geographic constraints and can be used independently or to enable and support PLA global power projection operations. In addition to the development of directed-energy weapons and satellite jammers_ the PLA has an operational ground-based anti-satellite (ASAT) missile  a capability India demonstrated last year  intended to target low-Earth orbit satellites_ and China probably intends to pursue additional ASAT weapons capable of destroying satellites up to geosynchronous Earth orbit. -Source: The Times of India