Washington, March 27 – US lawmakers and military commanders warned that the growing threats from China, Russia, and other adversaries are rapidly reshaping the strategic landscape, with space emerging as a frontline domain in any future conflict.
Opening a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Senator Roger Wicker said the United States must “fundamentally update our strategic capabilities” to counter advances by rivals. He noted that Russia and China have made “significant progress” in their nuclear and space programs, while North Korea continues to expand its missile arsenal.
General Stephen Whiting, commander of US Space Command, said adversaries are developing capabilities to “deny us the use of space,” warning that China’s satellite fleet has grown dramatically.
“China’s presence in orbit has grown exponentially, now operating over 1,300 active satellites… including more than 510 intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellites,” he told lawmakers.
He added that Beijing is integrating space-enabled capabilities across its forces, making them “more lethal, precise, and far-reaching,” while also fielding weapons designed to destroy US satellites.
Meanwhile, Russia continues to pursue disruptive space capabilities, including the potential deployment of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon. Whiting warned that such a system would be “indiscriminate” and could endanger all satellites in low Earth orbit.
“If detonated in orbit, [it] would immediately put at risk every country’s space capabilities,” he said.
Admiral Richard Carroll, head of US Strategic Command, described the broader challenge as deterring “multiple nuclear competitors simultaneously” amid rapid technological change. He identified cyber threats, counter-space capabilities, and advanced missile systems as key risk areas.
“Our nation’s nuclear forces… are safe, secure, effective, and credible,” he said, but stressed the need for sustained modernization of the nuclear triad, including new bombers, submarines, and intercontinental missiles.
Senator Jack Reed warned that, for the first time in decades, the US and Russia lack a formal structure to regulate nuclear forces, increasing the risk of an uncontrolled arms race.
Reed said China’s rapid expansion could bring it to “rough parity” with the US and Russia by 2030, complicating deterrence and alliance dynamics.
The hearing underscored how deeply US military operations now depend on space. Whiting said the entire joint force is built on the assumption of uninterrupted access to space-based systems, including navigation, communications, and missile warning.
“The Joint Force’s ability to fight… would be immediately and materially impacted” if those capabilities were degraded, he said.
He added that in a future conflict, “the first shots would occur in cyber and in space,” reflecting the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.
Lawmakers also highlighted the growing problem of orbital debris, citing past anti-satellite tests by China and Russia that created thousands of fragments still in orbit. The US currently has no capability to remove such debris and must rely on tracking and avoidance.