Space Force Official Says Intelligence Efforts Prioritize China, Russia

Maj. Gen. Gregory Gagnon, the U.S. Space Force’s deputy chief of space operations for intelligence, recently shared that 50 percent of the service’s intelligence-gathering efforts are focused on China and 25 percent on Russia. He told the Space Force Association on Thursday that the remaining 25 percent is directed at the private sector to understand it “from an intelligence perspective.”

Gagnon, a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, explained that China requires monitoring because of its rapidly growing space capabilities. He noted that the U.S. rival launched almost 200 satellites in 2022, more than half of which are for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

According to Gagnon, China is deploying an increasing number of space assets to build its own version of Joint All-Domain Command and Control, Breaking Defense reported Friday.

He stressed that commercial capabilities should be utilized to keep pace with adversaries, highlighting satellite-to-satellite imagery services by companies working with intelligence agencies. He said such capabilities are now being used to benefit the Department of Defense and the U.S. government.