The US Space Force has criticized China for developing 'orbital warfare tactics'
They are maneuvering satellites to gain positional advantage against those of democratic nations. They are exploiting sun angles to make sure that it is the Chinese satellite that is doing the observation, and not the one being observed.
They are practicing shifts in orbital regimes which are far too aggressive to be considered routine. For a satellite, energy is life: the more you expend, the shorter the life of the satellite. Observing Chinese satellites make large and aggressive maneuvers using lots of energy leads to the assessment that they are willing to trade satellite lifespan for experience in conducting orbital maneuvers. This is also a key component of military deterrence, the demonstration of capacity, capability, and, perhaps most importantly, the will to do it.
To be clear, the PLA is exercising military maneuvers in space. Chinese satellites demonstrated coordinated, multi-satellite orbital maneuvers resembling combat tactics. This has raised alarms for governments across the globe worried about China’s aggressive development of military capabilities in space. Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. MichaelGuetlein described it as a form of “dogfighting in space.” And this is just part of the PLA’s anti-satellite program to develop jammers, weapons, robotic grappling devices, and other technologies. to fight to, from and in space.
They are conducting rendezvous and proximity operations in order to enable the execution of dynamic spacecraft operations; which in military terms means they are developing the TTPs to do these operations. And this isn’t new, in 2021 China showed that it could find, fix, track, target, pursue and grab another satellite, and then move it to a different orbital regime.
In short, they are exercising and practicing for orbital warfare.

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