Part 1 – WWIII – 2020 An Annihilation Space Odyssey

The headline read:

US preparing for WAR in SPACE with China or Russia says Trump Defence Secretary Jim Mattis

The Trump representative said detailed plans were being drawn up to help retain the dominance of the US in outer space following concerns that China and Russia are catching up.

Next time you look up at the stars; keep in mind you may be viewing the battlefield of the not so distant future.  This isn’t another Star Wars sequel; this is real life.  The conflict involves three long-standing adversaries; the United States, Russia & China.  The world superpowers in another epic race, a modern-day arms race to control space. Space: the final frontier; oh where is Captain Kirk when we need him?

So why did space become such a potential military theater you might ask?  The answer lies in recent wars.  Let’s take Operation Desert Storm for example.  In a recent unclassified document in the National Security Archive you will find a document called “Air Force Space Command, Desert Storm “Hot Wash” 12-13 Jul 1991, July 1991. Secret, 10 pp.”   In this document one of the primary focus points in the functionality of SATCOM or satellite communications.  The document states that “SATCOM Indispensable” and that our satellites accounted for 80% of the communications of the operation.  Starting to understand why space may be so important; control space and you control the communication arm of any future military conflict.

Just look at recent headlines:

Newsweek.com:  RUSSIA FEARS U.S. IS PLANNING FOR SPACE WAR

Express.co.uk.com:  US fears ‘SPACE PEARL HARBOUR’ opposes Chinese and Russian bill to demilitarise universe

The Diplomat.com:  How China Is Weaponizing Outer Space
Many of China’s space capabilities are designed to counter U.S. military advantages.

I believe this set’s the stage towards what’s coming.  Now to understand some of the basics.  To begin with, space is controlled by a Treaty; yes, another treaty.  It is called the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies…say that three times quickly.  For short and more everyday use it is called The Outer Space Treaty.  The treaty, in short, covers the following.

According to the UNITED NATIONS Office for Outer Space Affairs:

The Treaty was opened for signature by the three depository Governments (the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) in January 1967, and it entered into force in October 1967. The Outer Space Treaty provides the basic framework on international space law, including the following principles:

• the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind;

• outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States;

• outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means;

• States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner;

• the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes;

• astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind;

• States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities;

• States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects; and

• States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.

So let’s put it a little easier, no Weapons of Mass Destruction in orbit around Earth and nor stationed on the Moon or any nearby celestial bodies.  Sounds simple enough doesn’t it…oh well wait for it…wait for it…Russia and China want to expand on the treaty to stop further militarization of space and the United States will not comply.  Well, as President Trump put it to North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un recently:

…I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!

But let’s get serious for a moment; the Treaty is governed by the United Nations and a violation would require a unanimous vote to act upon the offending Nation.  In that ‘The Big 3’ listed are the most likely violators a unanimous vote would be difficult to come by.  I’m not the only one who believes this or, as you’ll see below, everyone wouldn’t be so darn concerned about an impending intergalactic conflict.

In an article posted on Investors.com:

Space Warfare: Why The U.S. Is So Vulnerable, Despite SpaceX’s Wins

…the world’s most powerful military could be crippled if an enemy destroyed or disabled critical space infrastructure as part of a space war. Navigation, guided missiles and missile-warning alerts rely on GPS satellites. Critical intelligence comes from spy satellites. Drones, Navy ships and infantry grunts use communications satellites. And the disruption of your mundane comforts, which increasingly rely on satellite communications, eventually could grind daily life to a halt.

Russia and China “are building those capabilities to challenge the United States of America, to challenge our allies and to change the balance of power in the world,” Gen. John Hyten, the head of U.S. Strategic Command, said at the Reagan National Defense Forum in December. “We cannot allow that to happen.”

Well, as you noticed that article was featured in Investors.com; highly possibly a great article to support investment in companies involved in the space race.  Let’s dig a little deeper and see what military leaders are saying:

In article posted on Express.co.uk:

World War 3 alert: Battle in SPACE could break out in YEARS warns US Air Force chief

The US Air Force is asking for £6 billion ($8.5 billion) for space programs in the 2019 budget.

National Security Advisor Herbert McMaster said on Wednesday at a meeting of the National Space Council that the US would be prepared for any conflict that took place in space.

He said: “Due to competitor and adversary actions, the space domain is increasingly contested. Space has now joined land, sea, and air as a war-fighting domain.

Once again, we can look at the statements above as the military trying to bolster their budget.  Trump is calling for a $54 Billion dollar defense spending hike so everyone is rushing to get their piece of the proverbial cash cow pie.  Now we must look for proof, what is being done in space by China and Russia that would support the potential for WWIII – ‘The Annihilation Odyssey’?

(Reuters/China Daily)

In The Diplomat.com article:

How China Is Weaponizing Outer Space
Many of China’s space capabilities are designed to counter U.S. military advantages.

A 2013 test by Beijing involved its new missile, the DN-2 or Dong Neng-2, and the test was conducted in “nearly geosynchronous orbit,” where most of the United States’ ISR satellites are located. The direct ascent test, launched from Xichang, reached an altitude of 18,600 miles. On October 30, 2015, China tested the DN-3 exoatmospheric vehicle, reported to be able to destroy U.S. satellites.

Beijing’s recent space activities indicate that it is developing co-orbital anti-satellite systems to target U.S. space assets. Co-orbital anti-satellite systems consist of a satellite “armed with a weapon such as an explosive charge, fragmentation device, kinetic energy weapon, laser, radio frequency weapon, jammer, or robotic arm.” Besides the “hard-kill” methods, Beijing is also testing soft-kill methods to incapacitate enemy satellites. For instance, China has been acquiring a number of foreign and indigenous ground-based satellite jammers since the mid-2000s.

Russia is deploying a bit more of an Austin Power’s approach using giant ‘lasers’.  This not only according to DARPA but also in an article published on Express.co.uk titled:

Russia is working to ‘counter US military satellites’ with sophisticated ‘SPACE LASER’

RUSSIA is working to “counter US military technologies” by harnessing the power of a sophisticated “space laser” capable of hitting satellites orbiting the Earth, a source close to the matter has revealed.

Finally, if this isn’t enough I leave you with this:

Wars are won and lost by the ability and speed of armies to communicate and make decisions.  With new wartime technology so reliant on GPS and corresponding satellites; control of space would quickly result in control of the planet.  It is not wonder that the likely hood for a future space war is so much more a possibility today than ever before.

Even if it is as simple as ground based missiles taking aim at satellites in orbit, just imagine the implication of all our satellites being destroyed and the effects that would have on our everyday life:

• Loss of bandwidth of the internet
• Loss of many cell phone connections
• Loss of new large based weather models and tracking
• Loss of military communication and targeting
• Loss of all ‘remote’ satellite based internet or phone systems
• Loss of airline tracking system
• Loss of a reliable banking system – more than likely a financial freeze
• Loss of all GPS based technology

We must stay awake, be aware, think with an open mind and be vigilant in the defense of our rights, our freedoms and our protection of humanity.

Justus

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Tags: attack, beijing, china, jinping, lasers, nuclear war, putin, russia, satellites, space, trump, united states, War And Conflict