Posted on 02/04/2002 4:35:50 PM PST by Hellmouth
The Chinese military is continuing to develop an anti-satellite capability in order to counter superior U.S. and Western reconnaissance technology, according to one organization that monitors Beijing's military and foreign-policy initiatives.
The American Foreign Policy Council said Thursday that the People's Liberation Army is working on a four-step plan that will utilize direct and indirect means of defeating American surveillance satellites.
Quoting Chinese press sources, AFPC said the PLA "describes its methods to counter satellite reconnaissance in four words: dodging, changing, deceiving and counteroffensive."
"Dodging," the report explained, means evading satellites by using deception. "A satellite can only make such reconnaissance twice [a day] for about 10 minutes each time," said the report. If troops or equipment dodge the satellite during those 10-minute windows, they've thwarted the reconnaissance attempt.
"Changing" means altering the operations of ground troops "to reduce the effectiveness of satellite reconnaissance."
According to the report, the PLA says "deceiving" means changing the appearance of targets. "Although reconnaissance satellites have a certain 'vision,' the ground troops can make them 'useless' through good camouflage and concealment," the report said.
Serb troops used this tactic during the 1999 78-day bombing campaign to fool U.S. planes into striking tanks that had already been destroyed.
Finally, the report said, the Chinese military plans to use "counteroffensive" techniques employing a range of new weapons, "including laser weapons, microwave weapons and particle beam weapons," to "destroy satellite equipment or the body."
China has a long history of developing laser weapons and other "asymmetrical" means of defeating U.S. military capabilities.
In fact, Beijing's effort to develop laser technology encompasses over "10,000 personnel – including 3,000 engineers in 300 scientific research organizations – with nearly 40 percent of China's laser research and development devoted to military applications," according to Mark Stokes, a military author specializing in Chinese weapons development.
Earlier reports say China's anti-satellite capability centers on "parasitic satellites" – mini-satellites designed to "stick" to the body of an enemy satellite, which could then be activated during times of war or national emergency for the purpose of jamming or destroying the enemy's orbiter.
Such weapons could be used against single or constellation satellites; constellations are groups of satellites linked together to provide global, or near-global, coverage.
The U.S. military and American communications companies use constellations.
I always wondered it we put too much faith in gps and satellite communications technology because in wartime, they could target the satellite itself.
Perhaps we do..
Perhaps we do..
Hmmm, I'm sure there are defensive counter-measures that are being incorporated into the satellites. Shielding, filters, on-board weapons systems, decoys, deception... who knows?
In a real event. Chinese assets in OS would be inoperable in less than 60 secs. What do they think all those "military payload" launches were about? Weather forecasting? LOL.
ICBM installations, out of commission in minutes, ballistic sub missiles... blockable by naval emplacements on our ships AND our land based operations systems. What, did they think? We gave patriot missiles to Israel, and we have not done anything more advanced in the interim?
Damn... talk about stupid!
Every ten minutes? Ever heard of Geosynchronous orbits at oblique angles? Over international waters? The only reason we don't bring up this stuff publicly is because we don't tip our hats. Wouldn't be prudent at this juncture.
china... what a joke. japan could probaby take them out without an official "military."
Sorry, I refuse to dismiss this possibility out of hand just because we trade with them.
That kind of logic is what led to 9/11.
:)
But they are so proud.. Remember the EP3 spy plane incident?
I just wonder which side they would come down on if it came to trade or Taiwan? And, perhaps they might have an idea about filling the economic/power vaccum if the US were gone.
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.