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INFORMATION WARFARE: China Abandons GPS [for the European Galileo system]
Strategy Page ^ | April 23, 2005

Posted on 04/23/2005 1:26:31 PM PDT by John Jorsett

China is now working with the European multi-national organization that is building Galileo, a GPS competitor that is putting 30 satellites into orbit. Galileo will offer services that GPS does not and, most importantly, will not be under the control of the U.S. Department of Defense. While Galileo can be jammed, and the United States has said it will just that in wartime, the United States can do more than just jam GPS, they can fiddle with it in subtle ways. Or so the Chinese think. While using Galileo instead of GPS will cost the Chinese more (for additional equipment and software) in the long run, there are many benefits. Chinese participation in the project just about guarantees that Galileo will get into service, and provide the Chinese with valuable military technology. This, despite the European embargo on selling weapons to China (because of the bloody 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.) Galileo is something of a vanity project for European nations. It’s $5 billion cost provides negligible benefit to Europe, but does enable European nations to avoid using the American GPS navigation system.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; globalism; gps
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1 posted on 04/23/2005 1:26:32 PM PDT by John Jorsett
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To: John Jorsett
It’s $5 billion cost provides negligible benefit to Europe, but does enable European nations to avoid using the American GPS navigation system.

France's handiwork, no doubt. They'd try to repeal the law of gravity if it had been discovered by an American.

2 posted on 04/23/2005 1:28:51 PM PDT by John Jorsett (email: mistersandiego yahoo.com (put the at sign in between those two))
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To: John Jorsett

This shouldn't be a shock. The Chi-coms see us as strategic competitors. No way they would want to use our navigation systems.

It's becoming increasingly clear that China is planning for the contingency of military confrontation with us in the coming years, and that they see the Europeans no threat to their plans for regional domination.


3 posted on 04/23/2005 1:32:55 PM PDT by Wiseghy ("Sometimes you're windshield, sometimes you' re the bug")
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To: John Jorsett; Dr. Marten; TigerLikesRooster; Marie007; kingsurfer
And Germany's.
4 posted on 04/23/2005 1:40:02 PM PDT by risk
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To: John Jorsett

So, if we, got forbid, ever had a military conflict with China, what does anyone think the odds are that Europe would help us out?


5 posted on 04/23/2005 1:47:42 PM PDT by mhx
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To: mhx

Er, God. That was weird :-)


6 posted on 04/23/2005 1:48:02 PM PDT by mhx
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To: John Jorsett

I have driven many times in Europe with GPS. Incredibly the signals stopped as soon as I crossed the French border.
The Frogs apparently hate anything American. :)


7 posted on 04/23/2005 1:48:07 PM PDT by americanbychoice2
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To: mhx

if we, got forbid, ever had a military conflict with China, what does anyone think the odds are that Europe would help us out?


Well, if we did, the Euros would soon find themselves
without a positioning system.


8 posted on 04/23/2005 1:51:30 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: mhx

Remember the movie "Red Dawn". There was a scene when the fighter pilot guy told the Wolverines about how the Russians with their Central American allies had launced a surprise attack on the US and cut the country in half. When asked what Europe was doing to help us out he replied "I guess twice in one century was enough for them...they're sitting this one out". That's exactly what will happen in the event of a conflict with China. Europe will do absolutely NOTHING to help us.


9 posted on 04/23/2005 1:53:48 PM PDT by frankiep
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To: Wiseghy

"This shouldn't be a shock. The Chi-coms see us as strategic competitors."

No, we (or at least some of us) see them as strategic competitors. They see us as THE enemy.


10 posted on 04/23/2005 1:54:59 PM PDT by Avenger
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To: mhx
Without dependence on the US GPS system, China will be free to launch attacks against GPS satellites in the event of a war.
11 posted on 04/23/2005 2:03:39 PM PDT by billybudd
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To: John Jorsett
You guys miss an important point. The ChiComs were building their own GPS system Beidou (Big Dipper). For them to give up on it is a major concession to their lack of technical expertise. Shows they are all sizzle and no steak.
W has already stated we will destroy any GPS system used against us. My guess is that in the event of conflict the EU system will reduce it's accuracy, just as we would do to our civilian system. Either they do that or we blow theirs up. Period. The French don't run the EU, no matter what they think.
12 posted on 04/23/2005 2:12:18 PM PDT by ProudVet77
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To: hollywood

ping


13 posted on 04/23/2005 2:55:24 PM PDT by Travis McGee (----- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com -----)
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To: Paul_Denton; Natural Law

Ping! Just thought this was interesting. :)


14 posted on 04/23/2005 3:01:05 PM PDT by monkeywrench
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To: tet68
"Well, if we did, the Euros would soon find themselves without a positioning system."

Yup. You get it.

15 posted on 04/23/2005 3:04:22 PM PDT by blam
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To: ProudVet77
You guys miss an important point. The ChiComs were building their own GPS system Beidou (Big Dipper). For them to give up on it is a major concession to their lack of technical expertise. Shows they are all sizzle and no steak.

If China had a GPS that was unique to it, we could wipe it out without a thought if it came to a war. If they're using Galileo and we wiped THAT out, we'll seriously tick off the Europeans, and presumably make things more difficult for any of those nation's militaries to help us out. That eventuality will at least make us hesitate to deny China access to positioning data.

16 posted on 04/23/2005 3:36:44 PM PDT by John Jorsett (email: mistersandiego yahoo.com (put the at sign in between those two))
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To: John Jorsett
This is another reason we need to stay on top of things. Literally. What assets do we have that can shoot down satellites? Is there a way to quickly replace lost GPS satellites? Considering our dependence on them I would hope so. We definitely need to rethink our current space agency and what benefits it gives us.
Let's hope we have a Republican in office if China ever wants to rumble.
17 posted on 04/23/2005 3:38:12 PM PDT by bbenton
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To: John Jorsett
France's handiwork, no doubt. They'd try to repeal the law of gravity if it had been discovered by an American.

Reminds me of a quote I heard attributed to Albert Einstein. He once quipped that if his theories were proven incorrect, the French would refer to him as "that German Scientist" and the Germans would refer to him as "that Jewish Scientist." But if his theories were upheld the Germans would refer to him as "a well-respected German Scientist," while the French would call him "a Citizen of the World."

18 posted on 04/23/2005 3:42:00 PM PDT by Tallguy
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To: bbenton

If our GPS satellites are destroyed or jammed, our military is prepared to put up 'pseudolites' to take their place, at least for military operations. Due to how ingrained GPS has become for civilians, however, the entire world economy would take a massive hit. China would make itself extremely unpopular.


19 posted on 04/23/2005 3:49:30 PM PDT by John Jorsett (email: mistersandiego yahoo.com (put the at sign in between those two))
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To: mhx
So, if we, got forbid, ever had a military conflict with China, what does anyone think the odds are that Europe would help us out?

Low. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the E.U. already has secret plans drafted, with consultation with China, to divide up the United States. If a war came here, our soft general public who has never had to fight off an enemy on our own mainland soil for generations will sit by watching in shock. I can even picture prominent Dems scheming to get gubernatorial appointments from the ChiComs, and the N.Y. Times writing glowing editorials of "the ChiCom freedom fighters coming to bring us our glorious revolution." *cough*

20 posted on 04/23/2005 4:02:08 PM PDT by monkapotamus
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