Satellite downing shows US arsenal

[unhappycamper]

This image provided by the US Navy showed that a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 was launched from the AEGIS cruiser USS Lake Erie northwest of Hawaii on Wednesday.


Satellite downing shows US arsenal
By Marc Kaufman and Josh White
Washington Post / February 22, 2008

WASHINGTON - The unprecedented downing of an errant spy satellite by a Navy missile makes clear that the Pentagon now has a new weapon in its arsenal: an antisatellite missile adapted from the nation's missile defense program.

While the dramatic intercept took place well below the altitude where most satellites orbit, defense and space specialists said Wednesday night's first-shot success strongly suggests that the military has the technology and know-how to knock out satellites at much higher orbits.

The Pentagon officials said it was 90 percent certain the missile had struck its primary target, a tank containing toxic fuel, but they stressed that the shootdown did not indicate that the United States was actively developing an antisatellite program.

General James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the effort was not a test of the nation's missile defense system nor a show of force to put other countries on notice that the United States can take down a satellite.

~snip~

Nonetheless, many space analysts and arms control advocates in the United States and abroad said the shot had opened the door to antisatellite tests by more nations.


Rest of article at: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/02/22/satellite_downing_shows_us_arsenal/



uhc comment: Nice pic guys. I especially like the shiny brass bell and the 'Don't give up the ship' banner.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

1. So, THAT's where the education/health care/infrastructure dollars are.

[Lerkfish]

2. it was all pr