China’s destruction of one of its derelict satellites using a direct ascent, kinetic kill missile in January 2007—for which it has offered no satisfactory explanation—has goaded Asia’s non-communist military powers into accelerating their military satellite programs in self defense.
In October 2007, India and South Korea said they were putting more muscle into their awakening military satellite programs with heavy infrastructure investments, and new doctrines that consider the eventuality of warfighting in space.
Japan has not announced a similar acceleration of its intelligence gathering satellite program. Its successful orbiting of four satellites to spy on North Korea, however, illustrates the importance it places on satellite derived imagery as guarantors of its national security.
The satellites spying on North Korea and its nuclear facilities constitute Japan’s single largest defense hardware expenditure in decades, and are among the most expensive military satellites built by any nation.
The year 2007 has turned into a watershed for Asia’s military space powers. The year 2008 promises to see military Asia push their satellite spy programs further ahead, confirming the hallowed military maxim—especially appreciated in India—that the second highest ground is no good.
And what high ground can trump space? The value of space as a strategic advantage has too often been driven home at India’s expense: first during the Kargil War in 1999, and lately by China’s space surprise in January 2007.
India: exploiting the high ground
Indian military analysts believe dedicated milsats (which India did not have in 1999 and which it still does not have today) would have avoided many of the intelligence failures that led to the war’s casualty bill.
India relied on dual use satellites operated by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for battlefield photoreconnaissance. The poor clarity of the photos provided by these satellites’ low resolution cameras left much to be desired.
The 50-day Kargil War, apart from leading to higher Indian defense budgets, also had the welcome effect of convincing India’s politicians that military satellites are assets worth their weight in soldiers’ lives.
India’s first military satellite—Cartosat-2A—is finally scheduled for launch in March 2008, eight years after the Kargil War.
Cartosat-2A carries panchromatic cameras that provide advanced imagery. It will fulfill a long-standing demand from the armed forces for a dedicated reconnaissance spacecraft.
Cartosat-2A will be followed by the launch of two more advanced imaging satellites, perhaps in 2008, that will give India the capability of keeping a round-the-clock eye on China and Pakistan.
The first of these new milsats will carry an Israeli SAR (synthetic aperture radar) that can image surface objects through cloud and rain.
More important than this important piece of spaceware, however, is that the Indian army, air force and navy are developing a doctrine or philosophy for utilizing space at tactical, operational and strategic levels.
That doctrine is embodied in India’s “Defense Space Vision 2020.” The first phase of this ambitious space program gives priority to developing space-based intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, communication and navigation capabilities until 2012.
At a Combined Commanders' Conference held this October, the Indian Army confirmed the importance of space as a vital arena for future exploitation. It said it had set up a "Space Cell" at its headquarters to coordinate space-based applications in a joint services operational environment.
India is also considering organizing a tri-service aerospace command, first for defensive missions, but which would take on an offensive complexion if Indian satellites are threatened. This Indian aerospace command should become operational in six to seven years, said some military sources.
The immediate perceived threat comes from China. India believes the Chinese have a space system in place consisting of very small maneuvering satellites loaded with explosives that will ram bigger satellites in suicide missions.
The Indian military is apprehensive its remote sensing satellites are vulnerable to these Chinese kamikaze attacks. The loss of its dual use Insat satellites will rob India of its military communication capability.
India is developing laser and directed-energy weapons to counter this perceived Chinese threat.
The organization of an Indian aerospace command has the support of India’s parliament. In 2004, the committee in charge of this project asked the government to set up the command to exploit the potential of space technology in a future war.
The successful launch and orbiting of Cartosat-2A will signal the official birth of India’s military satellite capability.
Described as a satellite based surveillance system, Cartosat-2A will give Indian Army commanders the ability to closely monitor troop movements and military installations in China.
The brains of this milsat surveillance system will consist of a defense imagery processing and analysis centre in New Delhi and a satellite control facility in Bhopal.
Military analysts say India is eager to make use of the tactical, operational and strategic advantages of space since they feel future wars cannot be fought without the effective exploitation space. The Indian armed forces also believe network-centric warfare hinges on the continued operation of military and dual use satellites.
The realization that it needs military satellites has been on the front burner of India’s armed forces. In 2005, India said its military space-based reconnaissance system was in an advanced stage of development and was expected to be operational by 2008 with the launch of Cartosat-2A.
India’s fleet of dual use, photo imagery satellites include Resourcesat-1 launched in October 2003 and considered India's most sophisticated remote sensing satellite to date. There’s the 2.5 meter, high-resolution Cartosat-1 satellite equipped with two cameras able to point at an object from two different angles. Another mapping satellite, Cartosat-2, provides one-meter resolution and was launched in January 2007.
South Korea
South Korea launched KoreaSat-5, its first milsat, only in August 2006. This dual use satellite gives South Korea a system that offers secure military communications. South Korea has eight other civilian and dual use satellites in orbit.
Over a year later and South Korea is now talking about building its space war capabilities by deploying warfare-ready laser weapons and establishing a space operations command by 2025. All this also because of China’s successful ASAT test last January.
The South Korean air force recently released a “Star Wars” report that reveals South Korea’s plans for exploiting and fighting in space.
The report says that by 2015, the air force plans to have built the infrastructure for its space operations. During this stage, the air force will set up a joint military-private sector satellite project and install a ballistic missile early warning radar system by 2012.
In the second stage from 2016-2025, the air force will build an optical and laser-based space surveillance system. It will also deploy warfare-ready laser weapons.
The third stage (post 2025) will see the organization of an air force space command, including the deployment of airborne and space-based laser weapons.
Today, however, South Korea has two dual use satellites in orbit and is to deploy its first SAR satellite in 2010. The in-orbit Arirang-1 and Arirang-2 keep watch over North Korea. Launched in 2006, Arirang-2 is a modern photoreconnaissance satellite with a 1 meter resolution digital camera.
The $268 million SAR satellite, Arirang-5, is to begin operations in 2010. The satellite’s SAR can also image underground or undersea features for mineral exploration and other purposes, which is the civilian aspect of its dual use nature.
The U.S. view
In August 2007, Lieutenant General Kevin Campbell, head of the U.S. Army's Space and Missile Defense Command, warned that China might be three years from being able to disrupt U.S. military satellites in a regional conflict.
Other U.S. commanders are concerned that China's anti-satellite weapons could interfere with military communications with South Korea and Japan. In response, the U.S. intends to develop more powerful and flexible forces in the Pacific to reduce miscalculations by Beijing.
The U.S. also intends to ensure the robust protection of its satellites from future Chinese “surprises”.
The U.S. operates some 110 military satellites, almost thrice the number (40) operated by Russia. There are also some 500 active civilian and dual use satellites hovering above the planet.
The U.S.’ immediate military response to the Chinese ASAT test was to order the U.S. Air Force to conduct a wide-ranging review of the vulnerabilities of U.S. military satellites.
The U.S. believes China is attempting to perfect a wide range of ASAT weapons, including jammers for navigation and communications satellites, and the deployment of space mines that could disable U.S. milsats.
As part of the review, the USAF is to recommend whether new arms programs (or “offensive counter-space” systems) to disable enemy space systems are needed.
Despite the chill in its relations with the U.S., China said it remained open to cooperating on space development with the U.S. China also said it remains keen on taking part in the International Space Station (ISS) project.
The Pentagon, however, opposes China's involvement in the ISS and other space cooperation with Beijing, and sees China's space program as a looming threat to U.S. satellite systems.
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