The prospect of "Star Wars" between China and the West loomed last night after Beijing used a ballistic missile to destroy a satellite in space.The missile, which hit a 4ft-wide obsolete Chinese weather satellite 530 miles above the Earth, is thought to have been launched from the Xichang space centre in China's Sichuan province.
It suggests that the Chinese have developed a major new capability that underscores the communist regime's desire to use its military might as well as burgeoning economic power to expand its influence.
"The US believes China's development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of co-operation that both countries aspire to in the civil space area," said Gordon Johndroe, spokes-man for the US National Security Council, yesterday. "We and other countries have expressed our concern regarding this action to the Chinese."It is understood that Australia and Canada have also protested to China.
Now if we did this the headlines would be filled with objections about the US bringing offensive weapons to space. Just think of the hideous headlines when we began testing anti-missile missiles.
The ability to destroy satellites with such precision could undermine the US National Missile Defence programme, a network of rocket interceptors, computers and satellites intended to protect America and its key allies from nuclear attack. It became known as "Son of Star Wars" after President Ronald Reagan's so-called "Star Wars" programme proposed in the 1980s.
There's way more.....read more and ask yourself how long will it be until the US tries to develop a way to identify such a launch, and shoot down THAT missile before it can destroy american communications, or geo positioning navigation sateliites, or ICBM LAUNCH EARLY WARNING satellite.
Developing the same kind of weapon is no deterrent, since the Chinese do not have satellite dependent defenses (yet)..
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