China’s Space “Dogfighters” and Kill Mesh: Practicing to Destroy U.S. Satellites and Ships at Sea

Photo courtesy of Qiushi

China is conducting increasingly sophisticated satellite maneuvers in orbit, essentially rehearsing attacks on U.S. space-based infrastructure critical for navigation, communication, and missile targeting. China’s expanding space capabilities also extend to what military officials call a “kill mesh”, a networked targeting system that connects multiple sensors, platforms, and weapons in a decentralized web where data flows in multiple directions and engagements can occur from several nodes simultaneously.