The two new anti-satellite weapons are ready to jam intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellites.
The US Space Force has found a way to disable Chinese and Russian satellites in the event of a conflict.
In response to increasingly more powerful near-peer space and anti-space capabilities, especially from China, the US military is fielding two new weapons designed to jam Chinese and Russian satellites.
New Anti-Satellite Weapons
The new anti-satellite systems are called Meadowlands and the Remote Modular Terminal (RMT). They join the operational Counter Communications System that has been active since 2020 and is designed to assert US superiority in the electromagnetic spectrum during a near-peer conflict.
The two new anti-satellite weapons are specifically designed to jam intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellites.
Developed by L3 Harris Technologies, the Meadowland is undergoing live-fire testing and final evaluation before it becomes operational within fiscal year 2025.
Conversely, the RMT, which was developed by Northstrat and CACI International, is already operational and is being deployed overseas.
The Space Force will disperse the new counter-satellite systems across the world in undisclosed locations to increase their survivability. Moreover, the new weapon systems come with a remote operation capability.
According to reports, the Space Force plans to purchase up to 32 Meadowlands and 24 RMTs.
Chinese Space Capabilities
In April, during a hearing titled “China’s Ambitions in Space,” Space Force general B. Chance Saltzman, the Space Force’s chief of space operations, stated that “from a military perspective, Beijing understands that the space domain is a key enabler of long-range precision strike as well as of information gathering and dissemination, which makes it foundational to the projection of national power.”
China possesses the second-largest operational fleet behind the United States. And Beijing is ambitious to surpass the United States and claim supremacy in space.
China has over 1,200 satellites in active service, a number that is increasing every year. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Aerospace Force, which was established in 2024, has approximately 510 Earth-observing satellites with optical, multispectral, radar, and radio frequency sensors. These satellites are designed to detect and track the movements of adversary military forces.
“Intelligence suggests the PLA likely sees counterspace operations as a means to deter and counter U.S. military intervention in a regional conflict,” Saltzman stated.
The Chinese military is developing missiles that can physically attack US satellites in space, as well as ground-based laser weapon systems designed to disrupt, degrade, or damage satellite sensors.
A Changing Environment
Space has changed considerably over the past four decades. Satellites have gone from providing services like navigation, weather monitoring, communications, positioning, intelligence collection, and advanced missile warning and tracking to being critical to modern life. Today, satellites are necessary for a wide range of human interactions, including transportation, farming, internet and cellular communication, and financial transactions.
“Today, if you’ve checked for rain in the forecast, made a purchase with your credit card, or sent a text message, you have already called upon a satellite to make it happen, whether you knew it or not. Simply put, space matters more and more every single day,” Saltzman stated.
The new counter-satellite weapons are just a step in the right direction in countering China’s ambitious space program.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: DVIDS.
