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November 14, 2007
U.S. Responds To China's Offensive Weapons Systems
US plans new space weapons against China
The Pentagon is spending billions of dollars on new forms of space warfare to counter the growing
risk of missile attack from rogue states and the "satellite killer" capabilities of China.
Congress has allocated funds to develop futuristic weapons and intelligence systems that operate
beyond the Earth's atmosphere as America looks past Iraq and Afghanistan to the wars of the future.
The most ambitious project in a new $459 billion (£221.5 billion) defence spending Bill is the
Falcon, a reusable "hypersonic vehicle" that could fly at six times the speed of sound and deliver
12,000lb of bombs anywhere in the world within minutes.
The bombs' destructive power would be multiplied by the Earth's gravitational pull as they
travelled at up to 25 times the speed of sound towards their target.
The cost of the vehicle has not been revealed, but a spokesman for the Pentagon's Defence
Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) said a first test flight was scheduled for next year.
Loren Thompson, a leading defence analyst in Washington, said the focus of the project was attacking "time sensitive targets" in states such as North Korea and Iran, which have either developed nuclear weapons without international approval or are suspected of doing so.
"If we received intelligence that a strike was about to happen on South Korea, or on Israel, we would want to destroy that within minutes and not hours. But from most current US bases that is not feasible.
"With a hyper-sonic vehicle launching from the Middle East or Asia you could be over hostile territory within minutes," he said. "It's not just a question of can we destroy North Korean weapons, but can we get there quickly enough in the event of an imminent launch?"
Darpa is also developing a small unmanned launch vehicle that would provide "responsive and
affordable" access to space, for less than $5 million per launch. The first test flight was made in
March.
It would be capable of re-launching satellites that had been attacked, or acting as a fast-moving
replacement for a damaged satellite with intelligence sensors of its own that could identify enemy
installations.
In its 621-page report on the Defence Appropriations Bill, Congressmen from both
Republican and Democratic parties said: "Enhancing these capabilities is crucial, particularly
following the Chinese anti-satellite weapons demonstration last January."
In China's first successful test of an anti-satellite system, a ground-based missile fired
into space shattered a weather satellite in low earth orbit. The Pentagon has also given warning
that China is making greater efforts to hack into its defence computers.
Congress awarded $150 million for the Falcon project and its associated "prompt global strike" programme. A defence industry source said it was likely that hundreds of millions more were being spent on space warfare "away from the public view".
The "global strike" platform would give America the "forward presence" it requires around the world without the need for bases outside the US.
Attempts to base missile defence shields in Poland and Czechoslovakia have provoked a fierce
row with Russia, while Uzbekistan, which neighbours Afghanistan, evicted the US from an
air base two years ago.
FALCON HYPERSONIC CRUISE VEHICLE
Max speed: Mach 6 (4,614mph)
Payload: 12,000lbs including cruise missles, 1,000lbs penetrator munitions and independent 'kill gliders'
CRUISING ALTITUDES
Satellites: 370 miles
Space shuttle: 230 miles
Falcon: 28 miles
Concorde: 12 miles
Airliners: 6 miles
Wild Thing's comment........
So much for Bill Clinton selling China the ability to put weapons in orbit. The title of this article
sure makes it sound like the U.S. is the aggressor. "US plans new space weapons
against China". We’ve gotten ourselves into a real mess with China thanks to the Clinton's
especially, and it’s going to get a lot worse from here on out. imo
Posted by Wild Thing at November 14, 2007 12:55 AM
Comments
Yep--Bubba sure was and is stupid.
How many times did he conveniently lose the nuclear football?
And selling secrets like that is treason and punishable by death by firing squad.
But the Clit-ons believe they are so above the law and can get away with anything.
Now we're in a pickle with the rest of the world because of them and people want to put them back into the White House. Why?
It's funny, we've never been the "aggressor" in any war. We never went somewhere just to start a fight. We always did so after something happened.
Posted by: Lynn at November 14, 2007 04:50 AM
Yabbut can we get funding for this past Pelosi and Reid??
Posted by: Rick at November 14, 2007 06:02 AM
Awesome! I love it!
I did a post last yr on the RATTLRS, a hypersonic cruise missile-
http://www.defense-update.com/products/r/rattlrs.htm
Anyone interested in these sites- I love Mil stuff!
http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/index.html
http://www.ordnance.org/portal/
Posted by: patrickdaniel at November 14, 2007 07:31 AM
I found more info on the Falcon-
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/060126_darpa_falcon.html
It states the Falcons speed is that of Mach 19-20!
Posted by: patrickdaniel at November 14, 2007 07:38 AM
Maybe if Hillary gets elected, her and Sandy Burger can sell China the plans to counter our counter measures.
Posted by: BobF at November 14, 2007 08:10 AM
That the Telegraph would highlight this as a U.S. aggressive act doesn't surprise me, it's the universal media hype that the United States is bad, the Brits have basked in the protective blanket provided largely by the United States under it's funding of NATO and the UN to defend Europe during the Cold War. Maybe they would prefer the involuntary servitude of the Chinese or Soviet style government. Wait!!! They prefer Islamo-Fascism don't they? Balkinization!!! Sorry.
The Clinton's? Wasn't that the same dynamic duo that allowed Bin Laden to create, arm, train and supply the KLA in Kosovo? Neither the United States nor the other influential powers like the UN made any serious effort to stop Bin Laden's money or weapons being channeled into Kosovo, then Clinton joined their side with NATO help to bomb the Serbs, directly assisting Bin Laden. Wagging the dog again, Bill??? This was at the same time he was building his legacy after being impeached for his sex crimes and lying. With anything the Clinton's do it's a sell out, just follow the money. I don't trust Putin even if Georgie boy does, we have had a long history of proxie wars with China and Russia's Soviet Union.
It's time we defend our own instead of every one else, even though they will benefit from our protective umbrella.
Posted by: Jack at November 14, 2007 10:58 AM
I hope we fund and develop the military gear we need to protect ourselves and project the power we need to deter others. Then I hope we can prevent traitors like the Clintons from selling that technology.
We are in a "Space Wars" cold war with China now. We are probably in a similar situation with Russia. I hope our intelligence is aware of their technology develoments and capabilities.
Posted by: TomR at November 14, 2007 11:28 AM
Clinton has alot of blame for this situation, but it was Nixon who had us befriend Red China in the first place, and we are now paying for it. I hope our government recognizes that Red China is a threat, and not a market place.
Posted by: Robocop at November 14, 2007 01:37 PM
Lynn that is an important fact and very true. Thanks for pointing that out. I wish more lefties would realize that.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 14, 2007 11:20 PM
Rick I hope so, but you have a point, Reid and Pelosi don't want us to be a strong country at all.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 14, 2007 11:20 PM
Patrick those are great, thank you so much.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 14, 2007 11:22 PM
Bob,she probably would too. Honestly she is so evil.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 14, 2007 11:24 PM
Jack your right, that is why they titled it what they did too. I agree we need to make our country the strongest of all then we can go out and do like we always do and have done in the past and help others. The Clinton's would rather make other countries strong like China and they could care less about America.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 14, 2007 11:28 PM
Tom that would be so great if it would happen like that. I also agree with what you said about China and Russia too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 14, 2007 11:30 PM
Stupid? During Zipper Gate / Monicas Missiles...Bubba flew our ass*s off since he shot off over 80 Tomahawk missiles at various milk factories and caves...so we had numerous 2V7 missions from Norfolk to Rota NAS and Sigonella NAS and to Bahrain! Why? Our US Navy was running OUT of Tomahawks at $975,000 each in the 90's! SEMEN-NO CLASS BUBBA?
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at November 15, 2007 12:00 AM
Robocop, yep Nixon started the China thing and Clinton took it to a very extremely dangerous level.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 15, 2007 12:57 AM
Darth yes if Hillary and Bill get back in our White House I mean this,they will finish off what they started.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 15, 2007 12:58 AM
