The head of the ADF's Space Command says Australia is working on a plan to acquire "soft-kill" capabilities to take out enemy satellites without creating dangerous debris.
One year since the command was established, Air Vice Marshal Cath Roberts has given an update on its initial activities and the threats posed to Australian assets in space.
Air Vice Marshal Roberts says since the launch of Defence Space Command in March 2022, the number of satellites in space had more than doubled to around 8000.
"I think it's a really important part of where we're going to is just looking at how we can have that electronic warfare capability to allow us to deter attacks, or certainly interfere."
Speaking at the Avalon Air Show, the inaugural Australian Space Commander said her organisation needed to quickly secure "soft kill", or "non-destructive" capabilities to take out enemy satellites.
"We are working on making sure that we've got a level of capability so that we can deter attacks on our satellites … through non-kinetic means so that we can have some impact".
Last year, top ranking members of the US Space Force described Australia as a "pot of gold at the end of the rainbow", saying the country's geography was "prime" for future space operations.
"Geography is really important. We need to be able to see to protect, and we can see a lot from here," Vice Admiral Roberts said.
"And that goes for non-kinetic effects from the ground too, because it's what you can see and where you can effect it".
"I think it's a really important part of where we go … looking at how we can have that sort of electronic warfare-type of capability to allow us to deter attacks or certainly interfere [with enemy satellites]."
China launched more satellites than US last year
Improved space capabilities are believed to be a central recommendation of the Defence Strategic Review, which the government is expected to formally respond to in coming days or weeks.
"You need access to space to do the 'precision-guided' for the precision-guided weapons; you need it for the intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance; and you need it for the command and control through the satellite communication systems," Air Vice-Marshal Roberts said.
"What I can talk about is the fact that for many of the capabilities that we need, space is absolutely essential, both from the Australian public point of view but also from a Defence point of view."
The Space Commander said China had done more satellite launches last year than the United States, and said the country was very active.
"I remember I was briefing the deputy prime minister just before Christmas, I was just saying, 'in the last week 40-odd more [Chinese] satellites went up'."
"So they are launching on a regular cadence. They have many, many satellites in orbit and a large percentage of those 8000 satellites that are up there."
