DIA Assesses China, Russia, Iran & North Korea Space Goals in Third Security Report – ExecutiveGov

DIA Assesses China, Russia, Iran & North Korea Space Goals in Third Security Report  ExecutiveGov

The 2026 DIA report follows earlier assessments of anti-satellite weapons, electronic warfare systems and space-based surveillance. The Defense Intelligence Agency has released its latest assessment of space-related threats posed by U.S. adversaries, including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. The third edition of Challenges to Security in Space aims to inform the public about threats to national security and the growing role of space in international military operations. The unclassified report examines the space defense objectives, military strategies and intentions of the four countries. The assessment also examines the expansion of dual-use space capabilities and closer cooperation among adversaries, along with the risks these developments pose to global interests in space.

It considers broader space-environment concerns, including orbital debris, as space capabilities play a growing role in national security and the global economy. DIA published the first edition in 2019, which examined Chinese and Russian development of space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services, jamming capabilities, ground-based anti-satellite missiles and directed energy weapons. That report also noted that Iran and North Korea maintain independent space launch capabilities that can serve as avenues for testing ballistic missile technologies. The 2022 edition found that the combined in-orbit satellite fleets of China and Russia grew by more than 70 percent between 2019 and 2021. The report said both countries are adding space scenarios to