[infowar.de] (Fwd) weapons in circumterrestrial space

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Von:            	Dot Sulock <dsulock -!
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Betreff:        	weapons in circumterrestrial space
Datum:   	Wed, 7 Jun 2006 10:29:48 -0400

SPACEWAR
Defining A Warfare Doctrine For Circumterrestrial Space



Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov.
by Andrei Kislyakov
UPI Outside View Commentator
Washington (UPI) Jun 06, 2006
This summer the United States plans to publish its new space doctrine
stipulating the deployment of weapons in circumterrestrial space.
Col. Anthony Russo, head of the U.S. Strategic Command's space
division, said the new policy would remove any ambiguity about
official responsibility for figuring out who was behind any attack on
U.S.-owned commercial satellites. First of all, this concerns the
U.S. Department of Defense. But we will return to this issue later.
Anyone can see the danger being posed by space-based strike weapons.
During his visit to China in August 2005, Russian Defense Minister
Sergei Ivanov said both the United States and Russia were using outer
space for military purposes, but no weapons had been orbited to date.
"It would be difficult to imagine the consequences of their possible
deployment. To the best of myknowledge, we orbit commercial
satellites from 30 to 40 countries, and the issue of launch vehicles
is irrelevant," said Ivanov.
In other words, Russia, which launches numerous foreign spacecraft
and which knows nothing about their real content, can become involved
in an "orbital conflict." In that case, Russia would have to create a
new theater of war, resume an unprecedented arms race and search for
an "adequate response."
"We are opposed to the deployment of space weapons, which will not
make the world a safer place and can provoke hostilities back on
Earth. It would be extremely hard to prove in case of a malfunction
of a Russian or any other satellite that it had not been damaged by
other space powers, including the United States, if space weapons are
orbited," Colonel General Vladimir Popovkin, commander of the Russian
Space Force, told the ILA-2006 air show in Berlin in mid-May.
In other words, there would be ample room for speculation in case of
emergency.
We have already mentioned a statement by Col. Anthony Russo on the
military's role in deterring attacks on commercial satellites. It
appears that Col. Russo is not being totally straightforward, because
the issue has nothing to do with protection of satellite systems.
It should not be doubted that the United States could reinstate its
ASAT program, while Russia can do the same with regard to the Ishim
program of the mid-1980s. But no country has any space weapons to date.
In fact, space weapons are intended to destroy enemy inter-
continental ballistic missiles during their boost phase. Space strike
weapons, which are to become a vital element of the U.S. National
Missile Defense program, would detect burning rocket engines and
destroy MIRV warheads prior to the post-boost stage.
Let's not speculate about whose ICBMs the U.S. Strategic Command has
in mind. Russia knows all about the goals of the NMD program and the
designation of space weapons.
In late May, Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, chief of the Russian General
Staff, commented on U.S. plans to deploy elements of the NMD system
in Poland and the Czech Republic. Baluyevsky said Russia was
concerned because both countries were located in direct proximity to
its borders. "Local ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile) bases can be used to
detect and destroy ICBMs," said Baluyevsky.
Baluyevsky said Russian President Vladimir Putin had mentioned
possible counter-measures in his state of the nation address. "We
have found adequate and asymmetrical solutions enabling our ICBMs and
their warheads to effectively breach ABM defenses today, tomorrow and
in the foreseeable future," said Baluyevsky.
One can therefore say that the latest achievements in the field of
ICBM construction can neutralize a global ABM system and space
weapons, which are its important element.
Andrei Kislyakov is a political commentator for the RIA Novosti news
agency. This article is reprinted by permission of RIA Novosti.
United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written
by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important
issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of
United Press International. In the interests of creating an open
forum, original submissions are invited.



Source: United Press International
Related Links
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SPACEWAR
Japanese Military Going Into Space


Tokyo (UPI) Jun 05, 2006
Japan's Liberal Democratic Party has drafted a bill to allow Japan's
military into space. The calls for the military to venture into space
within the parameters of self-defense rights. That would be a drastic
change from the current civilian-based limitations that Japan has
placed on space ventures.


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