U.S. diplomatic and military officials remain perplexed and unsatisfied with China's nonexplanatory responses to international protests regarding the Asian giant's January anti-satellite (ASAT) ballistic missile test.

But they appear to be pushing Congress to support increased situational awareness efforts for U.S. space assets first over developing offensive, defensive or even so-called operationally responsive space capabilities, according to several remarks made May 23 on Capitol Hill.

"To date, the United States has not received a satisfactory response to our questions concerning China's motivations for the test, the nature of their pre-test analysis on possible debris and China's plans for additional testing," said Donald Mahley, acting deputy assistant secretary of State for threat reductions, export controls and negotiations.

Further, U.S. officials are not convinced that the whole Chinese regime is unified on the issue, namely the foreign and defense ministries, Mahley testified in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform national security and foreign affairs subcommittee.

Gen. Kevin Chilton, the head of U.S. Air Force Space Command, echoed the sentiment in a speech to the National Defense University Foundation. As a joke at the breakfast briefing, he said Chinese calls for a new space treaty even after their ASAT test were the definition of chutzpah.

"The contradictions between China's statements and its actions raise legitimate questions about the credibility of their declaratory policies, statements and security commitments," said Air Force Maj. Gen. James Armor Jr., director of the National Security Space Office.

Mahley and Armor told lawmakers that U.S. officials believe China is pursuing a wide range of high-technology, asymmetric capabilities that affect space-based assets, including counterspace operations. In the end, the chance of a miscalculation over Chinese intent is "most troubling," Armor said.

Chilton voiced support for the Space Tracking and Surveillance System, a planned constellation of satellites for tracking missiles and re-entry vehicles through the boost, midcourse and terminal phases of flight that was formerly known as the Space Based Infrared System-Low. The system could provide better space situational awareness, he stressed to the congressional crowd.

He said U.S. efforts should concentrate primarily on boosting situational awareness because officials need to be able to know what is happening to U.S. satellites. Before officials can discern that one has been attacked, they need to rule out several other possible scenarios and even then they must be able to accurately identify who attacked the satellite, the four-star general said.