Militarizing space. Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Like Don Quixote tilting at windmills he mistook for menacing giants, Washington appears to be sounding the alarm over alleged threats in outer space, even as it presses ahead with its own military buildup in orbit.

In its latest assessment, released on Monday, the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) claimed that China could deploy space-based directed-energy weapons by the late 2020s, while also highlighting Russia's expanding anti-satellite capabilities, according to SpaceNews.

The claims come as the US itself accelerates the militarization of outer space, having already publicly acknowledged deploying weapons in orbit while advancing its ambitious Golden Dome missile defense initiative.

Chinese military affairs expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times that Washington's approach represents a classic case of "thief crying stop the thief," as the US seeks to justify its own buildup of offensive and defensive space capabilities by portraying China and Russia as growing threats.

According to SpaceNews, the DIA's latest assessment, contained in the 2026 edition of Challenges to Security in Space, claimed that China already possesses multiple ground-based laser systems capable of disrupting, degrading or damaging satellites in low-Earth orbit.

The report further alleged that Beijing may field space-based directed-energy weapons by the late 2020s, along with more powerful ground-based systems capable of threatening satellites in orbit.

Directed-energy weapons use concentrated electromagnetic energy, including lasers and high-powered microwaves, to interfere with or damage targets. Such systems could potentially disrupt satellite electronics or impair optical sensors, according to SpaceNews.

The US intelligence report also highlighted Russia's alleged development of kinetic anti-satellite weapons, including the Burevestnik system, which it described as a developmental co-orbital anti-satellite weapon launched from a modified MiG-31 aircraft.

It further reiterated Washington's assessment that Moscow is developing a satellite designed to carry a nuclear weapon. Moscow has said that Cosmos 2553, a satellite linked by US intelligence to the alleged program, was intended to test electronic systems under radiation conditions.

The latest allegations stand against the backdrop of Washington's increasingly explicit pursuit of military capabilities in space.

On September 14, US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink publicly acknowledged that the US already possessed on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending its military forces against hostile actions, according to a release on the US Space Force website.

The announcement marked a significant development in Washington's public posture toward space warfare, although the US military did not disclose the specific capabilities, the number deployed or their deployment dates.

Meanwhile, Washington is pressing ahead with its Golden Dome missile defense initiative, which includes the development of a constellation of space-based interceptors. According to an official US Space Force release in July, the program aims to develop interceptors capable of engaging missiles during their boost, midcourse and glide phases.

According to an official US Space Force release in April, the service has established the Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) program to develop a space-based missile defense system, with plans to demonstrate its integration into the Golden Dome architecture by 2028.

Song said the latest US intelligence assessment reveals two distinct strategic calculations behind Washington's emphasis on China and Russia.

By hyping China's potential development of space-based weapons, the US is seeking to justify its own deployment of offensive weapons in orbit, while exaggerating Russia's anti-satellite capabilities serves to make the case for strengthening the defenses of American space assets, Song said. Such arguments could also help Washington secure additional congressional funding for an integrated space warfare architecture combining offensive and defensive capabilities, he said.

Song noted that the US is increasingly seeking to transform outer space from a domain used primarily to support military operations through reconnaissance, communications and navigation into a domain for direct offensive and defensive operations. He said Washington's pursuit of space-based weapons, including capabilities envisioned under the Golden Dome initiative, reflects its broader ambition to maintain military superiority by integrating advanced technologies and extending military operations into space.

China, meanwhile, has repeatedly called for efforts to prevent an arms race in outer space and opposed attempts to turn it into a battlefield.

In its latest position paper titled China's Position on Strengthening Outer Space Governance, released on October 23, the Chinese Foreign Ministry warned: "The risk of an arms race in outer space and the trend of turning outer space into a new theater of conflict have become the gravest threat and challenge to space security."

The document further stated: "States should oppose offensive military policies in outer space and take all possible measures to prevent an arms race in outer space."

Song warned that Washington's push to integrate artificial intelligence into military systems and expand offensive and defensive capabilities into space reflects its ambition to maintain military dominance. Such developments could transform outer space from a domain supporting military operations into a battlefield, threatening other countries' space assets and potentially accelerating an arms race and increasing the risk of conflicts triggered by miscalculation, he said.