General Whiting
Gen. Stephen Whiting, Commander of the U.S. Space Force Command speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in March. Getty Images

The head of U.S. Space Command fears that America's orbital arsenal is falling behind Russia and China.

Gen. Stephen Whiting told Axios he feared a gap in space and that more work is needed to ensure America keeps pace with its foes.

"Some of those key gaps are self-protection of our high-value assets on orbit," Whiting told the outlet.

President Donald Trump created the U.S. Space Force in 2019 during his first term. Its statutory responsibilities were established in 2020 under the United States Space Force Act. Essentially, the force protects U.S. interests in space and also conducts space operations.

Recently, the Space Force showed some of its capabilities to the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper reported that electromagnetic weapons created by Space Force were deployed during U.S. operations in Venezuela and Iran.

The Journal's report focused on two weapons systems. One offensive system disrupts enemy satellites' ability to create a protective bubble around U.S. forces, and one defensive system that is meant to protect U.S. space assets from disruption.

Lt. General Gregory Gagnon told the Journal that dominating the electromagnetic spectrum was a key component of modern warfare.

"If we can dominate the spectrum, we can keep our systems, our satellites, our ships, our planes all connected and working most effectively, but we can also disrupt the adversary's ability to do it," he told the newspaper.

Whiting told Axios that during the Iran war, ground-based radar systems have been targeted. He said the same type of strategy will apply to space assets, adding that it was essential that the U.S. keep pace.

"I will always ask for more because I believe that promotes deterrence," Whiting told Axios. "But also, if we are to have a conflict in space — and that is not inevitable — it gives me a greater range of options to fulfill our American objectives."

Whiting was leaving SPACECOM in the next several months. He told the website that he has "great optimism" for the future of Space Force.

"I think we're well postured. We certainly have challenges," Whiting told Axios, "but this is the team I would want to be on for that future."