Air Force Gen. John Hyten, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, has said the U.S. needs to deter “bad behavior” and conflict in space amid efforts of Russia and China to build weapons for space deployment, Stratcom reported Tuesday.

Clifton B. Parker writes Hyten told audience during a talk at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation that space should be available for exploration and that the U.S. should consider space as a potential war environment.

He said the Air Force needs a new ground missile defense base interceptor, an updated air-to-air missile and a long-range strike missile platform.

Hyten, who assumed his post in November, also urged the U.S. to evaluate its nuclear deterrence strategy and called for the advancement of “international norms of behavior in space,” the report added.