U.S. Media: Latest Report Indicates the Development Trend of Creating "Bodyguard" Satellites

According to a report by Reference News Network on April 11, the website of the U.S. Air Force Magazine published an article on April 8 titled "New Report Highlights Global Development Trends of 'Bodyguard' Satellites," authored by Courtney Albon. The content is summarized as follows:

According to a recent report, as the research and development of kinetic and non-kinetic space weapons become increasingly active, more and more countries are beginning to invest in the creation of "bodyguard" satellites aimed at protecting their space assets from harm and addressing the threats faced by these assets.

The U.S. Security World Foundation recently published its annual report on global space confrontation threats. The report emphasizes the trend of developing new methods to protect spacecraft from adversary attacks. It points out that Japan, France, India, and Germany have all indicated that they plan to or have already begun developing such "bodyguard" satellites.

The report states: "We see an increasing number of countries intending to develop co-orbital 'bodyguard' satellites and spaceplanes."

The concept of perceiving and preventing orbital threats is not new; many space-capable countries use satellite sensors and ground-based radar to monitor activities in orbit. The U.S. Space Rapid Response Capability Office launched a project last year to deploy sensors on satellites to detect threats, aimed at alerting operators to nearby dangers.

However, the difference with "bodyguard" satellites or spaceplanes is that they can not only detect potential threats but also take protective measures and retaliate. France announced plans to manufacture laser "patrol" satellites in 2019. Subsequently, France joined a project under the European Defense Fund in 2024 to develop "autonomous space situational awareness 'bodyguard' satellites." According to the European Defense Fund's project description, this development plan is expected to last three years, with an investment of about 6.5 million euros. It will not only enhance the satellite's ability to detect and monitor threats but also allow the satellite to automatically counter threats using "robotic or laser weapons."

Since then, several other countries have also announced similar plans. The Japanese Ministry of Defense stated last year that it would produce and launch a test satellite for a "bodyguard" satellite by 2029. India is also developing similar capabilities, announcing last month that it would conduct a test flight of a test satellite later this year. The Security World Foundation's report states that India's pursuit of this capability stems from an incident in 2024 when "a foreign satellite was continuously approaching" one of India's satellites.

The most recent country to propose developing this capability is Germany. In November last year, Germany released its first space security strategy, and this year Germany also appeared in the Security World Foundation's report. In its space security strategy, the German Ministry of Defense proposed a roadmap to "develop and use agile, stealthy surveillance and bodyguard satellites as well as reusable spaceplanes to monitor and influence hostile systems."

The U.S. Space Force has not publicly announced plans to develop similar "bodyguard" satellites or that it already possesses co-orbital weapons (weapons capable of maneuvering in orbit and having offensive capabilities). The Security World Foundation's report notes that, according to speculation from countries like Russia, the U.S. Space Force's mysterious X-37B spaceplane (primarily operated by the 9th Space Delta responsible for space orbital warfare) could carry destructive weapons and target other satellites. The missions of the X-37B are largely classified, but the Security World Foundation's report suggests that based on the known size, shape, and orbital information of this spaceplane, its weapon-carrying capability may be "limited."

The report states: "The gliding capability and maneuverability of the X-37B are limited, which makes it unlikely to be a militarily significant orbital bomber. According to tracking data from space weapon enthusiasts, the X-37B has historically operated at orbital altitudes between 300 and 400 kilometers, with inclinations between 38 and 54 degrees, and its ground track repeats every few days. This strongly suggests that it may be conducting a remote sensing mission, possibly testing new payloads through flight."

However, the report also points out that even if the X-37B spaceplane does not meet the characteristics of an "orbital bomber," it cannot be ruled out as a potential platform for testing other offensive space capabilities.

The report states: "The U.S. even catalogs classified military and intelligence satellites but does not publicly disclose the deployment of co-orbital satellites, which raises public doubts about the credibility of the space situational awareness data provided by the military." (Translated by Pan Xiaoyan)