USNA Proknow 2023 Chapter 12 Global Challenges- Cyber, Space, and Transnational Threats

Chinese Cyber Activities

Five Year Plan, Made in China 2025, Belt and Road Initiative, Digital Silk Road

Two Chinese Cyber Elements

(PLASSF) & Ministry of State Security (MSS)

Operation Cloud Hopper

two MSS actors

FSB

counterintelligence ops (Russia's first state-sponsored cyber capability)

SVR

human intelligence ops & behind Solar Winds hack 2020

GRU

all other intelligence ops

Behind power grid attacks in Georgia 2008 & Ukraine 2016

Pentagon Breach 2015 and DNC 2016

Space Domain

where atmospheric effects on airborne objects become negligible

USSPACECOM AOR

100km above mean sea level

Freedom of Action

Benefits from Access to Space

Overflight

Benefits from Access to Space

Global Perspective

Benefits from Access to Space

Responsiveness

Benefits from Access to Space

Multi-user capacity

Benefits from Access to Space

Speed, Reach, and Persistence

Benefits from Access to Space

Threats to Space Ops

Both natural and man-made

Congested, Contested, and Competitive

Space Domain Awareness (SDA)

Space Mission

Space Control

Space Mission

Positioning, Navigation, and Timing

Space Mission

ISR

Space Mission

SATCOM

Space Mission

Environmental Monitoring

Space Mission

Missile Warning

Space Mission

Nuclear Detonation Detection

Space Mission

Spacelift

Space Mission

SATOPS

Space Mission

Maneuver, Configuration, ops, and sustained of on-orbit assets

geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) shape

Roughly Circular

23,000mi

geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) advantages

continuous coverage over a specific area

coverage nearly hemispheric

geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) disadvantages

Far from Earth-resolution and signal limitations

Easier to jam signal latency

geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) application

communication, surveillance, weather collection, missile warning

Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) shape

Long Ellipse 600mi to perige

25,000mi at Apogee

Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) advantages

Long Dwell time over a large area

Coverage of High North or South latitudes

Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) disadvantages

Requires mutiple satellites

Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) applications

Comm over high north or south altitudes, surveillance, recon, and missile warning

Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) Shape

Between 1,000 ~ 22,000mi & Roughly Circular

Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) Advantages

Stable Orbit & Less Signal Latency

Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) Disadvantages

Highest Radiation Level Enviroment

Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) Applications

Positioning, Navigation, timing & Communication

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Shape

1000 mi & Roughly Circular

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Advantages

Near Earth- High Resolution and Signal Strength

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Disadvantages

Small coverage area & Limited Coverage windows for any specific geographic region

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Applications

Surveillance, Recon, weather, collection, Manned space flight, comms

Two Mission Divisions of PLASSF

Network Systems Department

Space Systems Department

(Counter Space & Strategic Intel overlap)

Chinese Space Station

Tiangong

Expected to be in LEO 2022 ~ 2024

Beidou Nav Satellite System

35 satellites

Chang'e

China's Moon Mission

Gaofen

Chinese Observation Satellites

Optical Imagers and optical systems

Yaogan

Chinese Intelligence Satellites

GLONASS

Russian Satellite System

24 Satellites in MEO

Nudol

Russian ASAT weapon system

ISIS attempt to maintain relevancy

Emphasis on ideology-inspired attacks' and shift of media efforts

Effect of personnel , infrastructure, and resource losses in recent years on ISI

Reduced output of ISISs media pubs and magazine Rumiyah

Countries where ISIS has been degraded

Libya, Afghanistan, Phillipines

ISIS use of UAS

Increased use

AQ vs ISIS

ISIS is non-conforming in its implementation while AQ is

AQ Area of Operations

Somalia, North Africa, Sahel, Yemen, & South Asia

Syrian Refugee Crisis

MORE THAN Five Million Refuges have fled Syria since 2011 to host countries like Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey

Problems Middle East Countries are facing and reasons why they are closing their borders

Public services and Gov Provisions are overtaxed

Declining Living Standards

Narrowing Labor Markets

Perceived Lack of Burden from countries outside the region