Bill Gertz posted a wonderful article about how the nation of China is gearing up for space warfare. At least according to the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Lt. General Ronald Burgess.
Reporting to the Senate Armed Services Comittee in written testimony, Beijing has now developed the missiles, electronic jammers, and lasers for use against orbiting satellites.
Quote: “The space program, including ostensible civil projects, supports China’s growing ability to deny or degrade the space assets of potential adversaries and enhances China’s conventional military capabilities,” Lt. General Burgess said. End Quote.
Back in January 2007, a modified Chinese DF-21 missile was used to destroy a Chinese weather satellite. The resulting blast created some 10,000 pieces of junk that threathen both manned and unmanned spacecraft.
Quote: “China’s successfully tested a direct ascent anti-satellite weapon (ASAT) missile and is developing jammers and directed-energy weapons for ASAT missions,” he said. “A prerequisite for ASAT attacks, China’s ability to track and identify satellites is enhanced by technologies from China’s manned and lunar programs as well as technologies and methods developed to detect and track space debris.” End Quote.
What this blooger in this article perked my attention. North Korea has demonstrated the ability to disrupt our Global Positioning System signals up to 62 miles away using Soviet era made electronic jammers on vehicles stationed near the demarcation line between North and South Korea. I wished the article went into greater detail about that bit of news.
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Ref.
1. Washington Free Beacon.com. “DIA DIRECTOR: CHINA PREPARING FOR SPACE WARFARE. GROWING THREAT TO UNITED STATES” by Bill Gerta. February 23, 2012. ( http://freebeacon.com/dia-director-china-preparing-for-space-warfare/ ). image found on web about cold war space projects.
