Defence & security, explained.
Tiny satellites, also known as CubeSats, part of the infrastructure that makes space essential to daily life, but also vulnerable to disruption (JSC/NASA Images)
Why Australia will likely follow Washington’s lead on military space doctrine.
Subscribe to The Informer for monthly expert analysis, and to Events for advance notice of visiting world leaders and distinguished guests.
You may unsubscribe from Lowy Institute newsletters at any time. For information on our privacy practices and how to unsubscribe, see our Privacy Policy.
Dogfighting between satellites? Recognising space as a domain of warDogfighting between satellites? Recognising space as a domain of war
Space is no longer a distant frontier – it is the infrastructure of modern life. From navigation apps guiding your morning commute to new satellite constellations connecting remote communities, space quietly underpins the essentials of our daily existence.
Yet military space operations are also escalating. Jamming and other nefarious activities – much as are seen in the cyber domain – have become a feature of the space competition.
Many space-focused experts now openly discuss, “the unalterable fact that space has shifted from a sanctuary to a warfighting domain”. Today, space is accepted as one of the five military domains – alongside air, sea, land and cyber.
This was not always the case. Since the announcement of the United States Space Force (USSF) in 2018 there has been an overt and deliberate shift in defining space as not just a military realm but as a place for warfighting. Come 2025 and leaders such as General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations of the USSF, are regularly proclaiming that the objective in space is “to fight and win so that we assure freedom of action for our forces while denying the same to our adversaries”.
Australia, as well as NATO, has over the years referred to space as an “operational domain”. Some who champion this definition do so deliberately to focus on space as an enabler of operations and to avoid what can be perceived as a slippery slope to accepting conflict in space being an inevitability. However, it seems likely Australia will follow the US-lead soon.
Acknowledging space as a warfighting domain does not prevent continued efforts in diplomacy.
A continued strengthening of the Australia-US partnership in space has become evident over recent years. Under the Enhanced Space Cooperation Initiative declared at the 2023 AUSMIN Consultations, increased space integration has taken place for existing exercises and operations under the AUS-US Force Posture Agreement. Investments in joint capabilities such as the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability symbolise the allied approach to space.
As an Australian commander put it in a statement following a recent visit by US Space Command General Stephen Whiting, “this visit underscored not just how far we’ve come, but how far we are prepared to go together, to ensure the space domain remains open, safe, and accessible for future generations.”
A change in recognising space as a warfighting domain is more than a symbolic marker. It will be important in establishing effective deterrence and enhancing coordination. It is about recognising that future wars will be fought from, through, and in space.
This shift in how space is discussed has been well underway in the US for some time. In April, the USSF published its first framework for “Space Warfighting”, while officials have also assessed China’s space and counter-space capabilities to be evolving at “mindboggling” pace. Other US military leaders have talked about threats from adversary satellites practicing “dogfighting in space” and reports have shown intelligence gathering satellites stalking each other across orbit.
These technological leaps and the willingness to employ them for military advantage saw Whiting testify to a Senate committee in March that the United States “must prepare for conflict in space to ensure deterrence”.
It is important to recognise that these technological leaps are occurring within today’s geopolitical zeitgeist and that space fundamentally mirrors terrestrial politics.
Many fear conflict between great powers could be merely a miscalculation away. As a result, the very willingness to address space as a warfighting domain supports both strategic posturing and improved transparency.
A artist’s depiction of the NISAR satellite in orbit, a joint mission of NASA and Indian Space Research Organisation, featuring an advanced radar system to globally monitor changes to Earth’s land and ice surfaces (JPL/NASA Images)
The focus on increased transparency and use of such direct language is firmly in line with the focus of achieving “peace through strength”. You can find more evidence of this shift sprinkled throughout the public domain. The Times of London reported earlier this year that the United States has begun sharing its most closely held intelligence on Chinese and Russian space operations with Five Eyes partners, including Australia. These steps were reported as “momentous” due to the historically classified nature.
As the rapid evolution and adoption of space capabilities grows, a clear-eyed and pragmatic approach to the military use of space is more important than ever. But it is important to also recognise that acknowledging space as a warfighting domain does not prevent continued efforts in diplomacy. Australia can continue to effectively contribute and drive discourse on responsible behaviours in space.
But as Australia progresses along its space capability journey, one defined by a deepening collaboration with the United States, it is likely to follow – by officially recognising space as a warfighting domain.
About the author
Philip Citowicki
Philip Citowicki is an Adjunct Fellow at the University of Adelaide’s Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources.
The most-pressing world events explained by Lowy Institute experts and global contributors, in your inbox, every Thursday.
You may unsubscribe from The Interpreter at any time. For information on our privacy practices and how to unsubscribe, see our Privacy Policy.
