{"id":23843,"date":"2019-04-16T16:22:31","date_gmt":"2019-04-16T16:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/04\/16\/air-force-leaders-on-space-deterrence-at-some-point-weve-got-to-hit-back\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:05:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:05:37","slug":"air-force-leaders-on-space-deterrence-at-some-point-weve-got-to-hit-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/04\/16\/air-force-leaders-on-space-deterrence-at-some-point-weve-got-to-hit-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force leaders on space deterrence: \u2018At some point, we\u2019ve got to hit back\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., and WASHINGTON \u2014 Deterrence was the watchword <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/space-symposium\/2019\/04\/09\/top-air-force-official-takes-shots-at-space-development-agencys-first-project\/\" target=_blank>among U.S. Air Force leadership<\/a> during last week\u2019s Space Symposium, and officials stated in strong terms that the United States is prepared to enact a show of force to prove its ability to respond to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/2019\/04\/09\/chinese-threats-necessitate-new-space-structures-shanahan-warns\/\" target=_blank>threats in space<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere may come a point where<a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/c2-comms\/satellites\/2019\/04\/09\/what-new-threats-menace-the-peace-of-space\/\" target=_blank> we demonstrate some capabilities <\/a>so that our adversaries understand that they will not be able to deny us the use of space without consequences,\u201d Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told reporters during a Wednesday roundtable.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/04\/11\/did-the-pentagon-do-enough-to-convince-congress-it-needs-a-space-force\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3941761.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Did the Pentagon do enough to convince Congress it needs a Space Force?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Pentagon officials were on the Hill to address a key pressure point to convince Congress to support its plan for the war-fighting domain of space.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat capability needs to be one that\u2019s understood by your adversary. They need to know that there are certain things we can do, at least at some broad level,\u201d she said, adding that uncertainty was also a key component to deterrence. \u201cHow confident are they that they know everything we can do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adversaries must understand that the U.S. military can \u2014 and will \u2014 react if its space assets are threatened during conflict, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein said in his April 9 speech as the conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s not enough to step into the ring and just bob and weave, block and parry, and absorb punches. At some point, we\u2019ve got to hit back. And adversaries must know we possess this capability. So we\u2019ll rapidly develop and field the technology needed to counter adversary systems from any domain at the time, place and manner of our choosing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAlways the predator, never the prey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Goldfein and Wilson\u2019s comments \u2014 quite possibly the strongest proclamations that the U.S. Air Force has given about its willingness to take offensive measures in space \u2014 came just weeks after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/global\/asia-pacific\/2019\/03\/27\/in-wake-of-indian-anti-satellite-test-shanahan-urges-thoughtfulness-in-space\/\" target=_blank>India became the fourth country that has proven it can shoot down a satellite. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/04\/10\/sda-has-an-ambitious-plan-to-launch-hundreds-of-small-satellites-can-it-get-off-the-ground\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/kestrel-eye.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Space agency has an ambitious plan to launch \u2018hundreds\u2019 of small satellites. Can it get off the ground?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The first satellites of the Space Development Agency&#039;s first project could launch as early as 2020.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the March 27 test, India took down one of its own live satellites in low-Earth orbit using an anti-satellite missile launched from Earth,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mea.gov.in\/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl\/31180\/Speech+by+Prime+Minister+on+Mission+Shakti+Indias+AntiSatellite+Missile+test+conducted+on+27+March+2019\" target=_blank> Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India follows the United States, Russia and China in demonstrating an anti-satellite, or ASAT, capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">China\u2019s 2007 ASAT test also continues to be of concern to U.S. officials, with acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan referring to China\u2019s weapons development capabilities multiple times in his April 9 speech at Space Symposium.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/04\/09\/chinese-threats-necessitate-new-space-structures-shanahan-warns\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-146379700.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Chinese threats necessitate new space structures, Shanahan warns<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Pentagon chief is specifically calling out Chinese systems by name \u2014 including a ground-based laser \u2014 that could hold American capabilities at risk.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So what kind of technologies would the United States be willing to use in space to deter enemies from acting in ways that threaten U.S. space assets? On that point, Air Force leaders declined to give specifics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI see it as taking similar capabilities that we developed for other domains and applying them to space,\u201d Goldfein told Defense News in an exclusive interview. \u201cThat\u2019s probably as much as I could go into in terms of technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, he noted that another way to deter adversaries is to strengthen bonds with allies and partners in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That was one of the goals of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/riat\/2018\/07\/12\/top-us-air-force-general-has-a-space-based-proposal-for-allies\/\" target=_blank>first-ever air chiefs conference focused on space issues,<\/a> held Thursday in Colorado Springs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States attended the event, Goldfein said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOne of the things that I shared with this set of chiefs is that we just happen to be here at the birth, we\u2019re here at the creation of the transition from a benign environment to a more contested environment. And because we\u2019re so early in the discussions, it presents us the opportunity to become more interoperable faster,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The idea for the conference grew from conversations Goldfein had with other air chiefs during the 2018 Space Symposium, and was intended to give participants a better sense of each country\u2019s efforts in space, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The attendees spoke about their commitment to the \u201cresponsible use of space,\u201d but the subject of deterrence continued to be a hot topic, Goldfein added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have every right to be confident that if a fight were to start today that we have what we need to collectively win. And we ought to be able to communicate that strongly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, he noted the importance of improving space situational awareness and of how the United States shares information about observations in space with its partners quickly enough to respond to threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neither Goldfein nor Gen. Jay Raymond, head of Air Force Space Command, gave details on whether the event led to specific plans to ramp up international cooperation on military space issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Raymond noted areas of ongoing cooperation with foreign militaries such as the hosted payload programs with Japan and Norway, and the expansion of training exercises like the Schriever Wargame and Space Flag.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The top two Air Force officials hinted at this year&#8217;s Space Symposium that the U.S military would take offensive actions in space if needed to deter an enemy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":40091,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":23,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"4":{"categories":["your-air-force","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters","middle-column","home"],"primary_category":"your-air-force"}}},"categories":[160,29,163,36,23,102],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3384],"class_list":["post-23843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-digital-show-dailies","category-military-space-report","category-newsletters","category-space","category-space-symposium"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"NQFP5JGEFFFHNDEQRSBVZGD4UE","arc_canonical_url":"\/space\/2019\/04\/16\/air-force-leaders-on-space-deterrence-at-some-point-weve-got-to-hit-back\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Air Force leaders on space deterrence: \u2018At some point, we\u2019ve got to hit back\u2019 - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The top two Air Force officials hinted at this year&#039;s Space Symposium that the U.S military would take offensive actions in space if needed to deter an enemy.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Air Force leaders on space deterrence: \u2018At some point, we\u2019ve got to hit back\u2019\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The top two Air Force officials hinted at this year&#039;s Space Symposium that the U.S military would take offensive actions in space if needed to deter an enemy.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/04\/16\/air-force-leaders-on-space-deterrence-at-some-point-weve-got-to-hit-back\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-04-16T16:22:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T22:05:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Valerie Insinna\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Valerie Insinna\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    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