Strategic responses to cyber-enabled hybrid threats in space.
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Abstract: This talk explores the strategic responses of the United States, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom to hybrid threats targeting space-based military assets, highlighting the variations in their approaches. Using realism as a theoretical framework, the study focuses on the core themes of power projection, alliance balancing, and self-help in an anarchic international system to explain these differences. Hybrid threats such as cyberattacks, co-orbital satellite interference, and signal jamming undermine space security, forcing states to adapt their strategies to secure vital assets and maintain dominance in this contested domain.
The analysis reveals that the United States prioritises technological superiority and alliance-building to project power and deter adversaries, while China adopts an asymmetric approach, leveraging hybrid tactics to challenge U.S. space dominance. Russia emphasises self-reliance and disruptive capabilities to undermine adversaries’ space assets, reflecting its broader strategic posture of confrontation. In contrast, the United Kingdom combines reliance on alliances such as NATO with a commitment to fostering international norms of responsible behaviour in space. By applying realist themes, this paper provides a nuanced understanding of how variations in state behaviour are shaped by their strategic priorities and perceptions of the international order, offering insights into the evolving dynamics of space security.
