Chinese satellites have conducted coordinated maneuvers with “synchrony” and “control,” a top Space Force official revealed Tuesday, dubbing the moves “dogfighting in space.”

The service is “starting to see our near-peers focusing on practicing dogfighting in space with satellite-on-satellite” operations, Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein said during the annual McAleese defense programs conference. 

“With our commercial assets, we have observed five different objects in space maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchrony and in control. That’s what we call dogfighting in space. They are practicing tactics, techniques, and procedures to do on-orbit space operations from one satellite to another,” he said. 

Following Guetlein’s comments, the Space Force confirmed he was referring to a series of Chinese satellite maneuvers in 2024 in low Earth orbit involving three Shiyan-24C experimental satellites and two Chinese experimental space objects, the Shijian-6 05A/B. 

While “dogfighting” traditionally refers to air-to-air combat between fighter jets, what that concept looks like in space—where the dynamics differ significantly—is less defined. Because there’s no friction or atmosphere, objects must rely heavily on thrusters to maneuver. 

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