Latest news with #B.ChanceSaltzman
Daily Record
08-08-2025
- Science
- Daily Record
Iconic 'wings' dropped from US Space Force uniform in major 'culture shift'
The US Space Force is changing its uniform policy and new rules will dictate who is entitled to wear the famous and distinctive Space Operations Badge, which has been ditched by some top officials Changes are afoot in the uniform policy of the US Space Force, with new regulations set to outline who can don the renowned and distinctive Space Operations Badge. The update follows an observation that the Chief of Space Operations, General B. Chance Saltzman, has omitted the iconic 'space wings' from his official portrait. Air & Space Forces magazine disclosed that he's not the only senior figure eschewing the esteemed badge. First introduced in 2004 as the Air Force Space Badge, it later transformed into its present design. The badge was previously worn by Space Force Guardians or US Air Force airmen, prior to the establishment of the US Space Force in 2019, and also by personnel operating satellites in orbit. It comes after news that the German military could launch intelligence-gathering satellites into space from Scotland under a new initiative. The Space Operations Badge is described in official heraldry as follows: "The central globe represents the Earth as viewed from space, the Earth being the origin and control point for man's space endeavours. The global lines of latitude and longitude hearken to the original 20th Air Force patch and emphasise the global nature of the Air Force space mission. "The thrusts and vectors behind the globe represent the dynamic and infinite space environment. The deltoid symbolises the Air Force's upward thrust into space, the reentry vehicles of our intercontinental ballistic missile force, and the launch vehicles that place satellites in orbit. "The ellipses represent orbital paths traced by satellites in Earth orbit; the satellites are symbolically depicted as four-pointed stars. The symmetric placement of the satellites signifies the Air Force's worldwide coverage in accomplishing its mission." The badge could be awarded in three distinct versions; basic, senior, and command, depending on the individual's level of experience. However, this system has recently been updated, reports the Express US. With the introduction of the Space Force Officer Training Course last year, newly commissioned officers are now required to complete a 12-month programme focusing on space operations, cyber and intelligence. Upon finishing this course, new graduates will be presented with their own Space Operations Badge, symbolising the successful completion of their training and marking a 'major shift' in the culture of the US Space Force. Lieutenant General DeAnna M. Burt, speaking at the AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, outlined the new ethos: "One of the things we've tried to do as a service is we want Guardians to identify as operators and warfighters, and how do you do that? You teach them the full playing field of what entails operations-cyber, intel, acquisition, and space operations. All of that comes together to do operations." Burt was not sporting her wings on Monday, but she disclosed that it's still under discussion what the initial officer training course graduates will don after they finish their first full course next month. Currently, an interim badge is being contemplated. Additional alterations introduced encompass the finalisation of service dress uniforms, and the Air Force Athletics teams will sport a Space Force alternate kit for a match or series.
Business Insider
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
A more complicated kind of kill chain is making China's missiles a deadlier problem for US forces, a top general says
China's military has developed a "kill web" that makes its weapons more accurate and reliable, a top officer said. A kill web is an evolution of a kill chain, including systems across domains and technologies. China has been expanding its missile arsenal and capabilities for years, raising concerns in the Pentagon. China's missiles are becoming a deadlier problem for the US military due to complex evolutions in the country's kill chains, according to a top American general. The Pentagon has been focused on China's growing arsenal of missiles for years, noting their ranges and stockpiles put the US and its allies in the region at risk should conflict break out. And there are force-multiplying capabilities that make that a more daunting challenge. Speaking to lawmakers on the Senate Committee on Appropriations last week, Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations of the Space Force, stated that the People's Liberation Army, China's military, "has fielded satellite-enabled, space-based targeting of terrestrial forces. This kill web has extended the range and accuracy of PLA weapons to hold US forces at risk." Saltzman added that the Space Force has the difficult task of defeating this kill web should the US and China go to war. The "kill web" is something he's brought up before, characterizing it as a critical concern. China's military, the general said back in May, "has developed what we've kind of, you know, tongue in cheek, called a 'kill web,' and it's nothing more than a series of hundreds of satellites that are a sensor network that provide real-time updates, targeting quality information of our force." China's embassy in the US didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on American assessments of its military. China's missile branch, the Rocket Force, has been heavily investing in new weapons. Annual reports on China's military by the US Department of Defense have noted growing stockpiles and launchers. One of China's ballistic missiles, the DF-26, has been commonly referred to as the "Guam Express" or the "Guam Killer" because it can reach US forces on the island, which is roughly 3,000 miles from Beijing. It can also be used in an anti-ship role, earning it another nickname: "carrier killer," like the DF-21D. Other Chinese ballistic missiles have raised concerns in the Pentagon, including its DF-17 and DF-27 hypersonic missiles, short-range ballistic missiles like the DF-15 that give China the ability to strike Taiwan with relative ease, and intercontinental ballistic missiles like the DF-5s, DF-31s, and newer DF-41s. And the arsenal isn't limited solely to ballistic missiles, with Chinese cruise missiles also representing a threat. Last year, in its report on China's military, the Pentagon assessed that the PLA intended to use AI and machine learning to enhance its missile sensors, which could make them more accurate. Other capabilities within information-gathering and targeting could improve missile accuracy as well. Reconnaissance drones and satellites could be a key part of the growing kill web, transmitting key information to command and control centers for decisions on how and what to attack. The kill web is an evolved concept of a traditional kill chain, described as being more interconnected across systems and domains and more resilient to disruption. The US is actively working to expand its own web. In a statement before the recent Senate committee hearing, Air Force leadership shared that it "recognizes the need to develop interconnected, multi-platform systems of systems that can operate within and across services to create a robust and redundant, long-range kill web capable of delivering effects within the most contested environments." That requires, it said, investing in every aspect of the so-called "kill web," from traditional platforms and communication equipment to AI and weapons systems.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US space chief warns China, Russia are greatest risks to space defense capabilities
Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman warned Chinese and Russian technologies, especially Beijing's ''kill web,' present the greatest risks to the U.S.'s space defense capabilities. 'The PRC [People's Republic of China] has developed what we've kind of, you know, tongue in cheek, called a 'kill web,' and it's nothing more than a series of hundreds of satellites that are a sensor network that provide real-time updates, targeting quality information of our force,' Saltzman said at Politico's Security Summit on Thursday. This 'kill web' presents new risks to U.S. forces due to its precise targeting, which can infiltrate forces in range before they can begin to meet military objectives, Saltzman said. 'This is a huge problem. And the Indo-Pacific is where we see this most acutely,' Saltzman said, adding, 'That's why we have to build our capabilities to try to disrupt that so that when we're trying to achieve military objectives, our soldiers, sailors and airmen are safe and not under this umbrella of a very accurate, very long range set of weapons.' China's space program has significantly increased in recent years and hopes to put astronauts on the moon before 2030. China was excluded from the International Space amid national security concerns, prompting the Asia nation to build its own space station. Saltzman warned the PRC has shown an 'accelerated ability' to launch payloads like spacecraft or satellites into orbit. The U.S. space chief then laid out three areas of concern he has over Russia's capabilities. Months ahead of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russia demonstrated a 'kinetic kill capability,' which is an anti-satellite missile to destroy a satellite. This invasion, Saltzman said, involved a cyberattack against global communications company Viasat in the ground network. 'We have to remember space capabilities can be negated using ground techniques…cyber techniques,' he said. 'So we have to defend our assets in not just the orbit, but the ground as well.' Saltzman's third concern related to Russia's jamming efforts and its aim to put a nuclear weapon on orbit. 'The Russians are demonstrating reckless aggressive behaviors with regards to how they intend to contest the space domain that will have far-reaching impacts beyond any localized military effect,' Saltzman said. It comes as Russia and China pursue a joint initiative to establish an international lunar research station. The Associated Press contributed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US space chief warns of emerging threats from China and Russia
Surging technologies spearheaded by Chinese and Russian forces represent the greatest threat in space defense, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman said Thursday at the POLITICO Security Summit. 'The PRC has developed what we've kind of, you know, tongue in cheek, called a 'kill web,' and it's nothing more than a series of hundreds of satellites that are a sensor network that provide real-time updates, targeting quality information of our force,' Saltzman said, warning that the strategy represents the biggest threat in U.S. adversaries' growing space capabilities. Saltzman emphasized the need to bolster U.S. capacity to disrupt the satellite network, saying it most acutely affects the Indo Pacific region. But China's kill web isn't the only area of concern for the space chief. Saltzman also noted Beijing's 'accelerated ability to put capacity on orbit,' adding that Russia, another major U.S. adversary, is similarly demonstrating strength in that arena. Russia, which is partnering with China to launch a joint lunar exploration project dubbed the International Lunar Research Station, also poses major threats to U.S. space defense, Saltzman said. 'The Russians are demonstrating reckless aggressive behaviors with regards to how they intend to contest the space domain that will have far-reaching impacts beyond any localized military effect,' Saltzman said, outlining three major areas of concern in Russian space technology development. Russia's demonstrated kinetic kill capability, which saw it destroying a satellite and generating massive amounts of orbital debris in 2021 before launching its invasion into Ukraine; its cyber attack against Viasat the day it began its Ukrainian incursion and continued jamming efforts; and its ambition of putting a nuclear weapon on orbit all pose significant threats to security, the space chief said. Saltzman's warnings come as the two U.S. adversaries ramp up their efforts to expand their space capabilities. Just last week, Beijing and the Kremlin signed a deal to build a joint nuclear power plant on the moon to power their planned International Lunar Research Station. The project aims to create a permanent base on the moon by the mid-2030s, in competition with the U.S.-led Artemis moon mission.
Politico
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
US space chief warns of emerging threats from China and Russia
Surging technologies spearheaded by Chinese and Russian forces represent the greatest threat in space defense, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman said Thursday at the POLITICO Security Summit. 'The PRC has developed what we've kind of, you know, tongue in cheek, called a 'kill web,' and it's nothing more than a series of hundreds of satellites that are a sensor network that provide real-time updates, targeting quality information of our force,' Saltzman said, warning that the strategy represents the biggest threat in U.S. adversaries' growing space capabilities. Saltzman emphasized the need to bolster U.S. capacity to disrupt the satellite network, saying it most acutely affects the Indo Pacific region. But China's kill web isn't the only area of concern for the space chief. Saltzman also noted Beijing's 'accelerated ability to put capacity on orbit,' adding that Russia, another major U.S. adversary, is similarly demonstrating strength in that arena. Russia, which is partnering with China to launch a joint lunar exploration project dubbed the International Lunar Research Station, also poses major threats to U.S. space defense, Saltzman said. 'The Russians are demonstrating reckless aggressive behaviors with regards to how they intend to contest the space domain that will have far-reaching impacts beyond any localized military effect,' Saltzman said, outlining three major areas of concern in Russian space technology development. Russia's demonstrated kinetic kill capability, which saw it destroying a satellite and generating massive amounts of orbital debris in 2021 before launching its invasion into Ukraine; its cyber attack against Viasat the day it began its Ukrainian incursion and continued jamming efforts; and its ambition of putting a nuclear weapon on orbit all pose significant threats to security, the space chief said. Saltzman's warnings come as the two U.S. adversaries ramp up their efforts to expand their space capabilities. Just last week, Beijing and the Kremlin signed a deal to build a joint nuclear power plant on the moon to power their planned International Lunar Research Station. The project aims to create a permanent base on the moon by the mid-2030s, in competition with the U.S.-led Artemis moon mission.
