The DIA’s 2026 assessment warns that China could deploy space-based directed-energy weapons by the late 2020s and notes Russia’s expanding ability to strike satellites in orbit.

It also says China already operates ground-based laser systems that can disrupt satellites and may field space-based directed-energy weapons soon.

The article is written by Sandra Erwin for SpaceNews, focusing on military space programs, policy, and defense industry implications.

The piece highlights concerns about the vulnerability of space assets and a growing arms competition in outer space among major powers.

Beyond the end-of-decade timelines, the excerpt provides no further specific technical details or deployment dates.

Experts such as Song Zhongping view Washington’s warnings as a strategy to justify space buildup and secure funding for an integrated space warfare architecture.

The article references official DIA assessments released on October 26 and notes readers may need to register or sign in to access the full article.

The piece notes a broader move from space as a support domain to a battlefield, with implications for both offense and defense in outer space.

Song argues that US AI integration into military systems and the push for space-based weapons reflect a drive to preserve superiority, potentially increasing miscalculation risks and spurring an arms race.

China maintains that it opposes an arms race in outer space and warns against turning space into a battlefield.

The United States has publicly acknowledged on-orbit space control weapons and is pursuing the Golden Dome missile defense initiative, including a Space-Based Interceptor program aimed for integration by 2028.