Article

2006-02-13 China-Japan-Koreas

Galileo: Why the US is unhappy with China

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Posted by Steve White 2006-02-13 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11132 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 China will never be able to power project far beyond their shores. They don't have the will to do it. They could have conquered the world back in the 14th century and just didn't care enough to do so. GPS is convenient in your own neighborhood but absolutely vital for power projection.

The only thing using a different system does, is allow each side to blow up/jam sattelites without damaging their own abilities. So how easy is it to blow up a sattelite? The things are so fragile I'd assume you just need a regular missile with buckshot for a warhead but I could be wrong.

Posted by rjschwarz">rjschwarz 2006-02-13 11:16|| rjschwarz.com]">[rjschwarz.com] 2006-02-13 11:16|| Front Page Top

#2 The soviets had an anti-satellite capability, but I don't know what its status is.

The reason for using Galileo is the following:

Since Galileo will make its service available under all but the most extreme circumstances - and will inform users within seconds of a failure of any satellite - it will mark a significant improvement in sat-nav technology. It will thus be regarded as a priceless tool for applications in which safety is crucial, such as running trains, driving cars and landing aircraft.

Because of the military nature of America's GPS system, Washington cannot in fact guarantee service continuity in the event of a major crisis. The EU countries, along with China and Israel, have therefore been insisting on the need to launch an independent, civilian-run system to overcome this drawback.

An attack on Galileo to deny GPS to China would be taken as an attack on a civilian system needed for safety-critical functions. The author does not mention that CHINA does not say it won't use it for military purposes. Assuming, of course, one TRUSTS China, which I don't...

Posted by Ptah">Ptah 2006-02-13 11:21|| http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org]">[http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2006-02-13 11:21|| Front Page Top

#3 Because of the military nature of America's GPS system, Washington cannot in fact guarantee service continuity in the event of a major crisis.

With something like a turn of a switch the American GPS goes encrypted. The will to do so however has been compromised by all the backloaded civilian systems that now rely upon it. IIRC DoD is now working on a second generation constellation of satellites to be exclusively military.

Posted by Gromomp Spons2647 2006-02-13 11:53|| 2006-02-13 11:53|| Front Page Top

#4 ...Well, now think for a second. We got word just a few days ago that there had been a successful test firing of the USAF's Airborne Laser, which is intended to shoot down moving missiles some distance away. If it can hit moving missiles going up, it ought to be able to hit geostationary satellites right nicely. Doesn't have to blow 'em up, just zorch 'em enough that they're no good.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2006-02-13 12:41|| 2006-02-13 12:41|| Front Page Top

#5 Doesn't have to blow 'em up, just zorch 'em enough that they're no good.

Actually, when you're dealing with a megawatt laser, there is no "zorching", slagging or meltdown. The photonic wavefront of a megawatt laser beam slams into a mechanical object with the force of a high speed head-on automotive collision. Catastrophic spontaneous disassembly usually ensues.

Europe is insane if they think that America will allow their Galileo GPS system to remain functional the instant China encroaches upon Taiwan (or elsewhere). Either Europe adds a layer of encryption unavailable to the Chinese or they face having their "birds" blown out of the sky. We might have a spoofing or jamming system that could render the location signals useless, but deorbiting the puppies is always a lot more reassuring to the big brass.

Posted by Zenster 2006-02-13 15:19|| 2006-02-13 15:19|| Front Page Top

#6 We can't guarantee that our satellites will continue to transmit in event of a crisis.

However, we can't guarantee that the *Euro* satellites will continue to transmit, either... Ahem.

Posted by JSU 2006-02-13 15:55|| 2006-02-13 15:55|| Front Page Top

#7 We have the technology to neutralize the GPS "advantage" this gives China, but it's crude. All we have to do is to put a single 20MT thermonuclear weapon, enhanced for EMT purposes, in geostationary orbit, facing China. They can't shoot it down, and it will cost them their entire budget to harden against it. In the meantime, get to work building ASAT and ABM systems, and deploy the second operational model to Taiwan, under total US control. China will hemmorage, scream bloody murder, and rattle cages everywhere, but won't be able to do a single thing otherwise. The threat to lose their TOTAL electrical and telephone grid would be too costly.

While there may be a better solution in the long run, this could be done the middle of next week, if the right people get off their duff. Sometimes "rude and crude" solves problems sophistication can't touch.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2006-02-13 18:54|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2006-02-13 18:54|| Front Page Top

#8 I like "Zorch!"

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2006-02-13 19:43|| 2006-02-13 19:43|| Front Page Top

#9 The Chinese were denied military use of the Russian GLONASS system so they hopped onto Galileo.

btw, India has also invested a few hundred million in Galileo (for civilian use only though).
They made a deal to help restore the GLONASS network by building and launching additional satellites on Indian boosters. For this they get access to the military grade signals.

Posted by john 2006-02-13 19:55|| 2006-02-13 19:55|| Front Page Top

#10 Time to dust off the Illudium PU-36 Space Modulators.

Posted by too true 2006-02-13 21:08|| 2006-02-13 21:08|| Front Page Top

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