January 19, 2007

Chinese Test Anti-Satellite Weapon

This news is huge:

U. S. intelligence agencies believe China performed a successful anti-satellite (asat) weapons test at more than 500 mi. altitude Jan. 11 destroying an aging Chinese weather satellite target with a kinetic kill vehicle launched on board a ballistic missile.

The Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, NASA and other government organizations have a full court press underway to obtain data on the alleged test, Aviation Week & Space Technology will report in its Jan. 22 issue.

If the test is verified it will signify a major new Chinese military capability.

Neither the Office of the U. S. Secretary of Defense nor Air Force Space Command would comment on the attack, which followed by several months the alleged illumination of a U. S. military spacecraft by a Chinese ground based laser.

More at Aviation Week.

h/t: Jeanette

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Posted by Pam Meister at 11:35 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0) | International

Comments

Remember that laser they shot and blinded one of our satellites?

I think we should "accidentally" run over a few of them with our next NASA mission.

Just like we "accidentally" bombed their embassy in Kosovo...

Posted by: aaron at January 19, 2007 12:59 PM

What really tragic about this is now there thousands of pieces of debris floating around and will be colliding with other satellites.Good Job China!

Posted by: learner at January 19, 2007 01:10 PM

You asked at 'American Thinker' "who will fill the void" of American disinvolvement. Here's one claimant, as identified in your post. A new imperial China.

Jeff Jacoby (1/18) featured a picture of 'Hitler's junior brother' (the so called president of Iran) rejoicing with R. Correa, the new leader of Ecuador. Correa seems tied to Hugo Chavez. So Iran and the 'little thug' of Venezuela could represent another tentative terror coalition waiting to exploit the void of American withdrawal.

Posted by: jng at January 19, 2007 04:42 PM

Let's keep it simple: nuke them back to the Stone Age.

What? Too radical?

Posted by: Wyatt Earp at January 19, 2007 09:53 PM