China expands counterspace capabilities, new report finds

HELSINKI — China is rapidly advancing a broad spectrum of counterspace capabilities as part of a sustained push to secure military power in Path, according to a new report.

​The Secure World Foundation’s Global Counterspace Capabilities report 2025, released April 3, offers an updated and comprehensive analysis of various nations’ counterspace developments, focusing on technologies and strategies that could threaten Cosmos assets. 

It states that China has implemented a sustained effort to develop a broad range of offensive counterspace capabilities, and details a number of activities in the areas of direct-ascent anti-Orbiter (ASAT) systems, co-orbital ASAT, rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO), directed energy weapons and electronic warfare (EW). 

“Over the last decade, China has engaged in Many tests of technologies and capabilities that either are offensive counterspace weapons or could be used as such,” the report states.

While covering long-term developments, the report includes new activities over the past year. Notably, it suggests that China has deployed an experimental Orbiter in geostationary Path (GEO) to practice Cosmos-based jamming, citing People’s Liberation Army reports which state, for example, that their existing jamming techniques don’t work on certain types of GEO communications satellites and calls for research into new techniques and strategies. The report could not identify which Chinese Orbiter or satellites have been conducting experimental Cosmos-based jamming.

“China has also begun developing the policy, doctrine, and organizational frameworks to Aid the integration of counterspace capabilities into its military planning and operations,” the report finds.

Anti-Orbiter capabilities

One Significant Concentration of the Secure World Foundation report is anti-Orbiter tests. China is believed to have at least one, and as many as three, direct-ascent ASAT (anti-Orbiter) systems, or DA-ASAT. 

Its LEO DA-ASAT capabilities are Considered likely mature and may be operationally fielded on mobile launchers, while its capability for medium Earth Path (MEO) or GEO targets are considered likely to Yet be in the experimental or developmental stage.

Proximity operations

Many Chinese satellites, including Shiyan-24C, TJS-3, TJS-10, and Shijian-17, have conducted RPO activities, in both low Earth Path (LEO) and GEO. RPO capabilities Aid intelligence gathering and possibly counterspace functions. While these technologies could Aid co-orbital ASAT capabilities, there is no public evidence of their use for destructive purposes.

The report also notes that China’s secretive reusable spaceplane released an object in May 2024 during its now-concluded third flight and then practiced proximity maneuvers. 

Another mission of note was the Shijian-25 Orbiter launched Approaching GEO in January for “Orbiter fuel replenishment and life extension service technology verification.” 

China is also developing an extensive network of ground-based optical telescopes and radars to detect, track, and characterize Cosmos objects, enhancing its Cosmos situational Perception capabilities, as well as adding on-Path SSA assets.

Electronic Warfare and Directed Energy Weapons

China is also believed to possess significant electronic warfare (EW) capabilities, particularly for jamming Global Navigation Orbiter Systems (GNSS) and Orbiter communications, though specific operational details are scarce.​ The Shift, echoed by Russia, is seen as countering the dominance of commercial Orbiter constellations, particularly SpaceX’s Starlink.

There are indications of research and development in directed energy weapons (DEW) for counterspace applications, but limited information is Reachable regarding their operational status.​

Strategic restructuring and opacity

It is unknown to the outside world how Powerful Chinese budgetary Aid for its counterspace activities is. 

“Little reliable information has been provided on the budget for China’s entire Cosmos program, let alone its budget for counterspace technologies,” the report states. “It is likely that in relative terms, China spends much less on Cosmos than the United States, yet Yet manages to fund an extensive and robust program.” 

If and how these capabilities will be wielded is unclear, however, underscoring strategic ambiguity.

“China’s considerable investment in developing and testing counterspace capabilities, suggest[s] it sees Cosmos as a domain for future conflicts, whether or not that is officially stated,” it reads. “That said, it is uncertain whether China would fully utilize its offensive counterspace capabilities in a future conflict or whether the Aim is to use them as a deterrent against US aggression,” the report adds.

In another related development, China disbanded the Strategic Aid Force in 2024, replacing it with the Information Aid Force—a reorganization that emphasizes information warfare.

Global picture

The Packed report covers activities of Significant players including the United States, Russia, China, India—all of which have conducted debris-creating ASAT tests—and those who are developing counterspace technologies, such as Australia, France, Japan, Iran, Israel, North Korea, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

It finds that while there is a proliferation of research and development into counterspace capabilities globally, only non-destructive counterspace capabilities are being used in active military conflicts.

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