Space Force Moving to Counter New Adversary Kill Webs | Space

Adversaries are developing increasingly sophisticated networks in space that enable not just kill chains but kill webs, which are “extremely difficult to defeat,” according to the Space Force’s No. 2 officer.  

“A kill chain in its simplest form is a gun fires a bullet, and a bullet hits a target,” Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael A. Guetlein said at the Defense News Conference on Sept 4. By comparison, kill webs are much more complex networks of sensors, communication systems, and weapons working together across domains to strike multiple targets simultaneously.

“Unfortunately, the adversary is capable of using these kill webs to hold our joint forces at risk across great distances, across multiple domains, and with persistence, this is a very sophisticated and challenging threat,” Guetlein said.

The kill web is a relatively new concept—U.S. military officials only started using it in earnest around 2018. Already, however, leaders are warning that adversaries are employing the idea. Back in March, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman warned that China has launched more than 470 ISR satellites that are “feeding a robust sensor-shooter kill web.”

The sensor-to-shooter kill web speeds up attacks by improving data sharing and automation, enabling strikes in seconds. Guetlein outlined three…