Explained: What is China’s ‘near-space command’ and why should the world be alarmed?

China has reportedly built the world’s first ‘near-space command’ equipped with deadly hypersonic weapons, Hong Kong’s SCMP newspaper reported Monday (Nov 20).

The new force will now act as the People’s Liberation Army’s fifth force, apart from the four current branches—Army, Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force.

It was not clear when the space command was formally established but it is still believed to be in the developmental stage.

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According to the researchers at China’s National University of Defence Technology cited by SCMP, “the establishment of relevant units is not yet mature, and combat operations have not been standardised.”

“The understanding of near-space combat command needs to be deepened.”

“It is necessary to adjust the hierarchy of command and control powers, selection of command methods, implementation of executive orders and support for command communication,” the researchers added.

Space - The next battleground

Chinese researchers believe that the near-space command is in line with the popular belief that space is the next battleground, where it wants to develop a clear edge over its competitors.

A team of experts, which submitted a paper to the 11th China Command and Control Conference in October, said near-space had become a hotly contested zone that could “determine the outcome of future battles”.

China’s near-space command will be equipped with modern hypersonic missiles to target critical military assets of enemies. It will be tasked to carry out “merciless” attacks on critical targets, as well as high-altitude surveillance around the globe through automated drones and spy balloons.

Double-edged sword

The Chinese researchers opine that the super-advanced near-space command acts as a double-edged sword, giving China the ability to hit any target on the Earth at an unstoppable speed but also posing significant diplomatic challenges in the international arena.

The fact that China is now a front-runner in having a dedicated space command might attract more hostility and scrutiny from major international players like the US, EU, India and even Russia.

According to the paper, the space command will also have “a large number” of spy balloons, solar-powered drones and other supporting equipment.

Unlike space-oriented operations, spy balloons may sometimes have to carry out special operations over territories of other nations or sensitive areas. This could trigger a major military or political backlash, like the one witnessed in this year’s Chinese spy balloon incident.

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The Chinese balloon that crossed the continental US from Alaska to the East Coast in February ended up further jeopardising the ties between the world’s two superpowers.

This made it necessary “to shift the decision-making power upwards,” the researchers said. The space command reports directly to the highest level of the military.

“The highest military command can approve the scale of use, activity areas and method of use to avoid causing political and diplomatic nuisance,” the paper said.

How will China’s space command operate?

The biggest motive of China’s space command is to help China win in the event of a war. So, how will it do so?

The space command will first look to target the enemy’s rocket launch sites, which will hamper their ability to fire anti-satellite missiles on China’s civilian or military satellite networks.

“These attacks must be precise, overwhelming and merciless,” the paper says.

According to the researchers, the loss of critical infrastructure in the early stages of a conflict would break down an enemy’s war machine and severely affect its ability and willingness to fight.

“This could change the pace of battles and bring a major impact to how a war would end,” according to the researchers.

During a ‘hot war’ scenario, some decision-making power will be transferred from PLA’s top brass to the command force to help make rapid decisions.

“This will place an additional burden on its commanders who would need to be able to plan and command the battlefield from a high position and with broad vision,"they said.

The new space command is given enough resources and means to ensure its survival. As per the paper, it is prepared for the most complex, difficult situations that can occur during a war, with a wide range of backup plans.

Hypersonic weapons to play key role

The space command will operate in a ‘near-space’ area, which starts at an altitude of about 20km (12 miles) and reaches the lower boundary of space at 100km from Earth.

The air there is too thin to support planes, and that’s why it is avoided by military planes. But hypersonic weapons can operate there at more than five times the speed of sound and cheat air defence systems with their unpredictable manoeuvres.

During the war, the near-space command will also take over full control of hypersonic weapons possessed by other branches of the PLA.

The success of the near-space force would to a large extent rely on “innovative strategies and combat tactics based on an in-depth analysis of the enemy’s weakness”, the researchers said.

(With inputs from agencies)