Pentagon report suggests China developing systems to hijack enemy satellites

A recently leaked Pentagon document suggests that the Chinese government is developing cyber weapons to take control of enemy countries' satellite systems in the event of war.

Among the top-secret files that came to light, one was discovered that would reveal significant technological efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to take the lead and control communications, missile defense systems and other functions of U.S. satellite networks.

According to the document, the Asian giant could hijack and exploit satellite infrastructure as part of its "strategy to control information" in the event of an armed conflict with the United States, going so far as to mimic enemy satellites to deceive and cause them to malfunction during the most crucial moments of a war.

"China’s ability to infiltrate a core network or mimic a specific command link could allow it to seize control of a satellite, rendering it ineffective to support communications, weapons, or intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems," the filing warns.

The Asian country's research would allegedly include experiments with directed energy weapons, robotic explosives, microsatellites, anti-satellite missiles, capture satellites, satellite jammers and other cyber tools.

China measured U.S. defense capabilities

The Chinese Communist Party has launched attacks against U.S. space infrastructure in the past. In fact, in 2021, the U.S. Space Force's first deputy chief of space operations, David Thompson, reported that China was attacking "everyday" cyber systems. However, it is unknown whether the United States has also been developing similar capabilities to deal with such attacks or to take the lead in a war with the Asian giant.

Other leaked documents

In addition to this document, other files were leaked that reveal the in the internal affairs of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Haiti, Nicaragua and Brazil are among the countries reportedly being targeted.