US Space Force General Stephen Whiting made the comments during the South American Defense Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 20 August this year.
The three-day conference was co-hosted by US Southern Command commander Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey and General Xavier Isaac, chief of the Argentine armed forces joint staff.
“We’re working to build and share specialised expertise through partner space training opportunities and share enhanced domain awareness via SouthCom’s (enhanced domain awareness) program,” Gen Whiting said.
“US Space Command and US Southern Command have become excellent partners in space, working together for security cooperation and domain awareness.”
Gen Whiting also highlighted US$42 million in investment for infrastructure development and the placement of 11 space domain awareness telescopes with partners in South America.
He also said China and Russia are seeking to establish space operation facilities in the Americas, likely including counterspace operations.
“Both nations are fielding a wide range of related weapons from reversible, non-kinetic systems like satellite communications jamming, GPS jamming and cyber attacks to direct ascent anti-satellite missiles and co-orbital anti-satellite weapons, putting friendly satellites at risk,” Gen Whiting said.
“We need capable partners who are willing to increase their capacity to effectively contribute to the team … A partnered approach to enhance space security through sharing expertise, burden sharing and coordinated rapid, effective responses to emerging threats, leaving no doubt to our opponents that we are stronger, more capable and always ready to counter any threat.”
Other sessions at the conference reportedly focused on enhanced maritime domain awareness and armed forces support to law enforcement in countering transnational criminal organisations.
“The challenges and threats that span the Andean Ridge to the Strait of Magellan are growing more complex … Expanding the scope, scale and strength of transnational criminal organisations throughout the region is a top concern,” according to US Southern Command commander Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey.
“Currently, 33 US-sanctioned groups, including the recently designated 10 foreign terrorist organisations, are operating in the western hemisphere, engaged in illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons, commodities, wildlife and persons that earn them $358 billion a year in revenue.”