Posted on 01/18/2007 9:43:55 PM PST by familyop
Space experts have confirmed a report that China successfully tested a new anti-satellite weapon last week, firing the weapon to destroy one of its own old satellites. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.
The report of a new Chinese space weapon first appeared in the publication Aviation Week and Space Technology. And on Tuesday the director of the private Center for Defense Information, space security expert Theresa Hitchens, said she and other specialists have been able to confirm it. "There has been some confirmation through the tracking data of the satellite that's been released by the U.S. Air Force. And there has also been tracking of the pieces of debris," she said.
Hitchens says it is difficult to know what China plans to do now that it has successfully tested the anti-satellite weapon. "You might look at this as a Chinese shot across the bow (warning shot), thinking that they would not be taken seriously until they had a hard power response," she said.
Hitchens says China might want to spark negotiations on space weapons, which the United States has resisted in recent years, or it might be trying to establish supremacy in a type of weaponry the United States has not pursued for the last 20 years, as far as is known. "It shows the urgency for the space-faring powers to come together to establish rules of behavior, and establish what is acceptable behavior in space and what is unacceptable. It seems to me that the policy of refusing to discuss these issues with China or any other nation has backfired," she said.
U.S. policy has been not to engage in negotiations on the use of space so as not to limit U.S. freedom of action in space.
The spokesman for President Bush's National Security Council, Gordon Johndroe, gave the U.S. government's official comment on the Chinese test. "The United States believes China's development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation that both countries aspire to in the civil space area. We and other countries have expressed our concern to the Chinese," he said.
China's successful test comes after a series of warnings by U.S. officials that China and Russia were developing space weapons.
Last October, the White House issued a new space policy that emphasized the need for freedom of action in space. The policy document does not endorse or prohibit U.S. government agencies from developing space weapons, but officials say the United States currently has no such weapons.
Hitchens says the United States launched a weapon and destroyed one of its own satellites 22 years ago, but abandoned the anti-satellite weapons program after that. She says that is a good thing. "The testing and use of weapons in space, and particularly these kinds of weapons, kinetic energy weapons, are bad for U.S. national security because they threaten our satellites," she said.
Hitchens says U.S. society relies on satellites much more than most other countries, making the United States more vulnerable to attacks on those satellites.
Pride Goeth Before a Fall - Ten Stories from Mahabharata (C. L. Purushothama Rao)
"Pride flings frail palaces at the sky,
As a man flings up sand,
But the firm feet of humility
Take hold of heavy land."
--"Alfred" (The Ballad of the White Horse, G. K. Chesterton)
Many thanks to Bill Clinton and Loreal.
lol. I think that's LORAL, as opposed to cosmetics manufacturer, Loreal.
BUMP
Thanks, indcons. A bump from you means a lot to me. A few of us (US Army) bothered to read extra history material from eastern cultures while providing instruction to future NCO leaders of soldiers. Ancient Rome and early America had a few smart tacticians, but histories of India and China are also rich with strategic wisdoms and ways of thought. Most of the best (IMO) philosophy in ancient China likely came first from India. I'm not promoting the religion of an ancient man here (although the more secular teachings of his ways were great), but a lone walk across the Himalayas and through feudal regions must have been quite a feat.
I cant believe anyone is really surprised at this news .Everyone is shedding crocodile tears ,with all the books and articles about Chinese espionage ,stolen nuclear secrets ,I am shocked ,shocked that the Chinese can now shoot down our spy satellites and why not the satellites that handle all commnications and GPS for the military .Hell we are subsidizing are own destruction folks and we have been for decades.Its the sixth sense syndrome ,we are dead we just dont know it yet
And after BJ Clinton and LORAL "giving" Warheads and Guidance systems to china, the LEFT in this country are considering Hillery Clinton for President.
She 's worse than her addicted husband.
Remember her work and Bill Lan Lee and how these two worked to release three Black panther killers from prison.
...well said. Chinese exchange students were educated in engineering fields here, and they came to our universities more than prepared to learn (excellent backgrounds in math, for one). That's what few of us want to talk about. They were given the theoretic and practical tools here to put together for their military build-up, while their nation is a military dictatorship not unlike those of China's fuedal past (communism and imperialism--both very centralized, secretive and tending toward expansionism).
The propaganda assumption that Chinese people are less intelligent than we and only able to copy machines is a vain assumption devised and disseminated by old hippies, old military officers who wanted to be hippies, merchants and importers.
The frequent harping focused on Clinton alone is also nothing more than a propaganda lie of omission. Various presidents of both parties since the 1960s (for example, Nixon and his decision on trade status for China) have either actively changed policy to educate Chinese (including many PLA and future PLA military members) in defense-preparatory engineering fields or left the status quo to do more damage. Presidents did so, because their richest constituents persuaded them to do so.
So what's the big deal? Why so many threads over nothing?
Obviously because this marks another significant military achievement for a likely foreign adversary. Just because we have this capability and have for some time doesn't mean it should have been given if even sold to the Chicomms. The Japanese and Indians are democratic allies of ours these days in that region, and they don't have this capability, nor do they probably even want it. So now instead of the world inching towards future peaceful times, looks like the future will likely result in more destruction.
I would have to point out that China is fully capable at this point of developing any kind of weapon without further help. What the Clinton Admin may have done is now long enough ago that tech has moved on and that is obsolescent. China graduates as many engineers a month as the USA does in a year, which will result in a decisive advantage eventually.
Is that the synopsis of your position? End game, we lose, so who cares about the here and now? Consider me significantly unimpressed.
It's hardly my position. I want the country to leapfrog technology into space development by repealing the Treaty. If we don't do that, then 12 to 1 is kind of clear. Do you have a plan?
My plan starts with being rightfully concerned with Chinese military advancements, and not blowing them off as inevitable or the begining of our demise. It proceeds to cutting off trade with them on human rights accounts and isolating them as we did the Soviets. Their economy wouldn't collapse but they wouldn't be spending much on the military anymore. Again just like the Soviets. History can repeat itself, if nudged in the right direction.
Where we going to put our factories? Where will we buy cheap Chevy knock-offs and disposable screwdrivers? Our economy will turn to crap immediately as will theirs. As far as lack of concern and blowing them off, don't imagine for a minute that anybody but a handful of Cindy Sheehans is doing that.
I'd rather have them here, wouldn't you, especially the most advanced and profitable? For cheap products, how about India, a democratic ally that has over a billion in available labor itself, with estimates having it likely passing China in the next two decades? Why would you insinuate we are dependent on China? What are we going to do if/when they nationalize all our minority interests in their industrial base? You are aware they already generally retain majority ownership in any new developments, even if they bear our western names?
Kind of a pun there. I am not insinuating. We are dependent on China. When we lose that it is going to be painful. Bill Gates will be okay though, he is moving his stuff to India.
I am serious about space development. Everything else is a joke and nothing else matters at this point. Repeal the Treaty.
If we are facing war with China, and probably a attempt on Taiwan would do, we are going to ruin each other. China will be devastated, but so will the USA. If China one day fires off a couple dozen of these anti-sat interceptors and all our military satellites go offline, at least we will have warning and can choose to get run over or take them with us.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.