With a Chinese commander recently announcing China's intentions in the sphere of developing offensive military capabilities in space, US Air Force General Kevin Chilton said on Tuesday that the US Military should consider intensifying its dialogue with China so as to better comprehend the objective of its space programs.

Gen Chilton, who is the chief of the Pentagon's Strategic Command, noted that China's momentous progress in its space programs, in the last ten years or so, have "absolutely amazed" the China-observers.

Saying that China apparently is "on a fast-track" in terms of improving its space and satellite capabilities rather than merely attempting to ramp up its space operations, Gen Chilton opined that the US should be fully aware of the direction in which China is heading.

Addressing reporters at the conclusion of Strategic Command's space symposium, the General said that the country needs to perk up its satellite presence in the Southern Hemisphere such that it can better track the launches from Asia.

Expressing a similar opinion, Lt. Gen. Larry James, commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Space, said: "We have shortfalls in the Southern Hemisphere. As you look at launches that would potentially come out of Asia and head south, you don't get a look at those for some period of time due to the lack of coverage there. So we still have shortcomings we need to deal with."