Missile Defense

Missile Defense Watch: Failed Satellite – A Message to China

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=8SNodVSMTqk[/youtube]

Narrative on the first successful intercept of a medium range ballistic missiles (MRBM) by an allied Navy ship. The JS Kongo (DDG-173) successfully detected, tracked and engaged the “separating” target launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) with the Aegis BMD weapon system, firing the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Blk IA missile for a successful intercepts outside the earth’s atmosphere. JFTM-1 was the first time that a Japanese ship was designated to launch the interceptor missile, a major milestone in the growing cooperation
between Japan and the U.S.

Remember when China used a ballistic missile to shoot down a satellite in space?

chinajan18aweb

And, remember in the summer of 2006 when China was firing lasers to interfere with United States satellites?

Now, the United States is using the destruction of a “failing” United States satellite to send China an overt message – Stay away from American space-based defenses.

The Pentagon’s plan to shoot down a failed satellite with a missile defense interceptor in the coming days is aimed at preventing toxic fuel from reaching earth. But U.S. officials and experts said yesterday it would also signal that U.S. missile defenses can be used to counter China’s strategic anti-satellite weapons.

China is an adversary and has already militarized space.

The United States is saying that there exist counter-measures already in place to China’s ASAT capability. Is this a Cold War type strategy move?

You bet and while Russia and China debate/negotiate demilitarizing space, America and its technology are already there.

Previous:

United States Speeding Up Missile Defense Plans – Russia

Missile Defense Watch: Putin Continues to Say NYET to Eastern Europe Missile Defense

Missile Defense Watch: US Proposes Joint Missile Defense with Russia

Missile Defense Watch: Operational

Missile Defense Watch: Vandenberg AFB Ground-Based Interceptor Missile Test is Successful

Missile Defense Watch: Gates – Missile Defense in Eastern Europe Continues

The Missile Defense Archive

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