http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.../wchina226.xml


China has secretly fired powerful laser weapons designed to disable American spy satellites by "blinding" their sensitive surveillance devices, it was reported yesterday.
The hitherto unreported attacks have been kept secret by the Bush administration for fear that it would damage attempts to co-opt China in diplomatic offensives against North Korea and Iran.
Sources told the military affairs publication Defense News that there had been a fierce internal battle within Washington over whether to make the attacks public. In the end, the Pentagon's annual assessment of the growing Chinese military build-up barely mentioned the threat.
"After a contentious debate, the White House directed the Pentagon to limit its concern to one line," Defense News said.
The document said that China could blind American satellites with a ground-based laser firing a beam of light to prevent spy photography as they pass over China.
According to senior American officials: "China not only has the capability, but has exercised it." American satellites like the giant Keyhole craft have come under attack "several times" in recent years.
Although the Chinese tests do not aim to destroy American satellites, the laser attacks could make them useless over Chinese territory.
The American military has been so alarmed by the Chinese activity that it has begun test attacks against its own satellites to determine the severity of the threat.
Satellites are especially vulnerable to attack because they have predetermined orbits, allowing an enemy to know where they will appear.
"The Chinese are very strategically minded and are extremely active in this arena. They really believe all the stuff written in the 1980s about the high frontier," said one senior former Pentagon official.
There has been increasing alarm in parts of the American military establishment over China's growing military ambitions.
Military experts have already noted that Chinese military expenditure is increasingly designed to challenge American military pre-eminence by investing in weaponry that can attack key systems such as aircraft carriers and satellites.
At the same time, China is engaged in a large-scale espionage effort against American high-tech firms working on projects such as the multibillion-pound DD(X) destroyer programme.
Several spy rings have been cracked and the FBI is increasing the number of counter-intelligence staff tracking the Chinese effort.

Although the Chinese tests do not aim to destroy American satellites, the laser attacks could make them useless over Chinese territory

I think the chinese have been very nice with us. they didn't shot down the sataliitle for our spying activity, intead it just send a beam of intense light to warn us. We should feel grateful.

I think the chinese have been very nice with us. they didn't shot down the sataliitle for our spying activity, intead it just send a beam of intense light to warn us. We should feel grateful.

Theyd probally like it even better if we stuck some weapon satalites up there and targeted there lasers "just as a test." I highly doubt the Chinese can or if the could would shoot down a US satalite.

Well, I guess I'd be a paranoid Chinese general too if I'd read about those conceptual "space marine" orbital dropships. Can't have them plopping down in Manchuria if China ever goes to war with America.

Seriously though, America will be the first to militarize space. What's worse, having your satellites blinded by a laser or having your installations ****ed up by a laser in space?

Originally Posted by Rabs

Theyd probally like it even better if we stuck some weapon satalites up there and targeted there lasers "just as a test." I highly doubt the Chinese can or if the could would shoot down a US satalite.

That's what make them suspicious of our intention. we were trying to go ahead with our militizing-our-space program despite international protest. our asset in space would all end up in trash if russian decide to shot down each of those satallite before we weaponize the space.

That's what make them suspicious of our intention. we were trying to go ahead with our militizing-our-space program despite international protest. our asset in space would all end up in trash if russian decide to shot down each of those satallite before we weaponize the space.

Nobodys going to start a war over us putting weapons in space.

Here are some examples, I especially like the first one.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03209/206344.stm

y Jack Kelly, Post-Gazette National Security Writer
Snapshots of U.S. space weapons envisioned or under development:

'Rods from God'

In April, within 15 minutes of receiving a report that Saddam Hussein had entered a restaurant in Baghdad, a B-1B bomber dropped four 2,000-pound satellite-guided bombs on the place.
It now appears Saddam slipped out of the building by a secret exit. But if one space-based weapon now being researched had been orbiting above Iraq -- and had worked as envisioned -- Saddam almost certainly wouldn't have got away.
Colloquially called "Rods from God," this weapon would consist of orbiting platforms stocked with tungsten rods perhaps 20 feet long and one foot in diameter that could be satellite-guided to targets anywhere on Earth within minutes. Accurate within about 25 feet, they would strike at speeds upwards of 12,000 feet per second, enough to destroy even hardened bunkers several stories underground.
No explosives would be needed. The speed and weight of the rods would lend them all the force they need.
This principle was applied in Iraq to destroy tanks that Saddam's forces shielded near mosques, schools or hospitals. U.S. aviators used concrete practice bombs.
Jerry Pournelle, a science writer and chairman of the Citizens Advisory Council on National Space Policy, came up with the idea, which he originally named "Thor" after the Norse god of thunder. The Pentagon won't say how far along the project, or variants of the idea, may be in development.

Originally Posted by dfllkfdn

That's what make them suspicious of our intention. we were trying to go ahead with our militizing-our-space program despite international protest. our asset in space would all end up in trash if russian decide to shot down each of those satallite before we weaponize the space.

There's a difference between militarizing space and weaponizing it. I believe weaponization is illegal which is why the world hasn't seen any nation put missile bases on the moon or Goldeneye-style lasers yet. Militarizing space is using technology bound in space for use by militaries. Many nations capable of firing rockets have already militarized space. Weaponizing it is where the line is drawn.

China [the CCP] is suspicious of everyone. They have to be because they do not want to lose their absolute control over China. They develop counters to American technology because an arms race is out of the question at the moment because America has a vast lead and much much more resources/money. So, the only way they can fight against America is to develop counters. In other words, they don't want to fight the American rock with a bigger rock, they're just going to make the paper. They want to lessen American influence in Asia so they can exert theirs. In doing so they could possibly control the Asian continent. They can isolate Japan, bring the Koreas under one land that is absolutely loyal to the CCP, slowly bleed Russia, and swallow up the smaller nations with economic incentives. This is a scenario I'd rather not see, at least under the CCP. I am somewhat okay with China surpassing the US, but never under the rule of the CCP.

China seems to be enough rich to pay many money for military.
No democratic nation hope to pay more and more money for military.
Setting military satelites in space?
That's just joking.
The assembly wouldn't agree paying cost for training 22cal.

We can't always b*tch about the enemy doing their bit. If they didn't do stuff like this, they wouldn't be the enemy now would they?
Time to blind their satellites.

The CIA thinks that there are currently 11 "killer satellites" in orbit. Killer satellites are defined as satellites that are meant to destroy/disable other satellites currently in orbit. They don't however specify if American satellites are included in this number.