Army Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Burgess, director of the Defense Intelligence
Agency, disclosed new details of China’s space weapons programs last
week, including information regarding China’s anti-satellite missiles
and cyber warfare capabilities.
Burgess stated in little-noticed written testimony prepared for an
appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee that Beijing is
developing missiles, electronic jammers, and lasers for use against
satellites.
Much of the space warfare activity is being carried out under the
guise of China’s supposedly non-military space program, he said.
“The space program, including ostensible civil projects, supports
China’s growing ability to deny or degrade the space assets of potential
adversaries and enhances China’s conventional military capabilities,”
Burgess said.
“China operates satellites for communications, navigation, earth
resources, weather, and intelligence surveillance, and reconnaissance,
in addition to manned space and space exploration missions,” he said.
“China’s successfully tested a direct ascent anti-satellite weapon
(ASAT) missile and is developing jammers and directed-energy weapons
for ASAT missions,” he said. “A prerequisite for ASAT attacks, China’s
ability to track and identify satellites is enhanced by technologies
from China’s manned and lunar programs as well as technologies and
methods developed to detect and track space debris.”
China’s January 2007 anti-satellite missile test involved a
modified DF-21 missile that destroyed a Chinese weather satellite. The
blast created a debris field in space of some 10,000 pieces of space
junk that could damage both manned and unmanned spacecraft.
For the U.S. military, the successful 2007 ASAT test represented a
new strategic capability for China. Analysts estimate that with as many
as two-dozen ASAT missiles, China could severely disrupt U.S. military
operations through attacks on satellites.
Burgess said China rarely admits that its space program has direct
military uses and refers to nearly all satellite launches as scientific
or civil.
Additionally, Burgess said Chinese state-run enterprises “continue
to proliferate space and counter-space related capabilities,” including
some with direct military applications.
For example, China’s Beidou global positioning system satellites
will be available for regional users this year and globally by 2020, he
said.
The satellites will provide foreign militaries with precision
targeting capabilities through purchases of Chinese Beidou receivers and
services.
The system will provide foreign militaries with “greater
redundancy and independence in a conflict scenario that employs space
assets,” he said.
The Chinese, as well as the Russians, are also developing space
capabilities that interfere with or disable U.S. space-based navigation,
communications, and intelligence satellites.
Moreover, North Korea has demonstrated its ability to disrupt U.S.
navigational capabilities through Soviet-made electronic jammers placed
on vehicles near the North-South demarcation line that, when activated,
were able to disrupt U.S. Global Positioning System signals up to 62
miles away.
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