A senior U.S. military official has revealed that as the Chinese Communist Party expands its military presence in space, the United States and France are planning to conduct a second joint satellite coordination mission in orbit. This is one of a series of measures taken by both sides to enhance ally intelligence capabilities.
According to Reuters, this operation will be the third known mission in space between the Pentagon and its allies. At the end of last year, the United States and France conducted their first joint satellite orbital maneuver operation. Earlier this month, the U.S. Space Command also carried out another joint mission with the United Kingdom.
Space is becoming an increasingly competitive military domain, where an increasing number of satellites crucial for communication, missile early warning, and battlefield intelligence are facing threats from hostile nations. Communist China, Russia, and the United States have all demonstrated anti-satellite weapons and have launched maneuverable spacecraft, raising concerns that in the event of a conflict, these attacks could disrupt GPS navigation or cut off communication channels relied upon by ground forces.
Precision control of spacecraft and integrating the forces of international allies have become a key battleground in the new global space race. The U.S. and its allies are facing intense challenges from China and Russia.
“We are currently planning a collaboration with France,” said Douglas Schiess, commander of a subordinate division of the U.S. Space Force, in an interview with Reuters. The division works with the Space Command to conduct classified military space operations. Schiess did not disclose more details.
He indicated that there may be more joint operations with other countries in the future and added, “I think we will do more.”
France is the European government that invests the most funds in the space sector.
Western military space officials, including those from Europe, the United States, and Canada, have been issuing warnings that threats to various satellites in space are escalating, from military satellites to commercial satellites like SpaceX’s Starlink.
The French Space Command declined to comment on any plans. In the first joint operation with the United States, the Command had stated that France was participating in training with the U.S. to strengthen cooperation, learn how to coordinate actions, and “demonstrate our strategic unity.” The French Space Command believes in “preparing for military space operations in real scenarios.”
Commander Vincent Chusseau, of the French Space Command, recently refused to discuss the details of the first operation during an interview with Reuters in Paris but stated, “We consider this operation a success.”
The first joint operation between the U.S. and France is termed a “Rendezvous and Proximity Operations” (RPO). In April of this year, U.S. Space Command Commander Stephen Whiting revealed that in the initial joint operation, a U.S. military satellite and a French military satellite approached each other near a “strategic competitor” spacecraft.
According to the U.K., during the joint operation between the U.S. and U.K. from September 4th to 12th, a satellite operated by the U.S. Space Command was maneuvered to inspect a British military communication satellite called “SKYNET 5A” to ensure it was operating on its designated orbit. The U.K. stated that both satellites were located in geostationary orbit—about 36,000 kilometers above Earth, with speeds of approximately 3 kilometers per second.
When speaking about this joint operation last week, British Space Command Commander Paul Tedman stated that it was the first time his unit had carried out this type of operation, marking a significant enhancement of combat capability. He also added, “We are now conducting advanced orbital operations with allies to protect and defend our common national and military interests in space together.”