NAVY Claims SPYSAT Shootdown... by out2theblack

NEWS HEADLINE DISCUSSIONS

NAVY Claims SPYSAT Shootdown...

POSTED BY: OUT2THEBLACK
UPDATED: Thursday, February 21, 2008 04:38
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Wednesday, February 20, 2008 8:17 PM

Just in from Associated Press :

By ROBERT BURNS - AP Military Writer

WASHINGTON(AP) A missile launched from a Navy ship struck a dying U.S. spy satellite passing 130 miles over the Pacific on Wednesday, the Pentagon said.

It was not clear whether the operation succeeded in its main goal of destroying a tank aboard the satellite that carried a toxic fuel that U.S. officials said could pose a hazard to humans if it landed in a populated area.

"Confirmation that the fuel tank has been fragmented should be available within 24 hours," the Pentagon said in a written statement.

The USS Lake Erie, armed with an SM-3 missile designed to knock down incoming missiles _ not orbiting satellites _ launched the attack at 10:26 p.m. EST, according to the Pentagon. It hit the satellite as the spacecraft traveled at more than 17,000 mph.

Because the satellite was orbiting at a relatively low altitude at the time it was hit by the missile, debris will begin to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere immediately, the Pentagon statement said.

"Nearly all of the debris will burn up on re-entry within 24-48 hours and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days," it said.

The use of the Navy missile amounted to an unprecedented use of components of the Pentagon's missile defense system, designed to shoot down hostile ballistic missiles in flight _ not kill satellites.

The operation was so extraordinary, with such intense international publicity and political ramifications, that Defense Secretary Robert Gates _ not a military commander _ was to make the final decision to pull the trigger.

The government organized hazardous materials teams, under the code name "Burnt Frost," to be flown to the site of any dangerous or otherwise sensitive debris that might land in the United States or elsewhere.

Also, six federal response groups that are positioned across the country by the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been alerted but not activated, FEMA spokesman James McIntyre said. "These are purely precautionary and preparedness actions only," he said.

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Thursday, February 21, 2008 3:26 AM

MYCREW

Is anyone else suspicious of this? It just seems like part of the story is missing.

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Thursday, February 21, 2008 4:09 AM

JONGSSTRAW

I hope all this is true. If it is, then it is a remarkable feat......being able to shoot down a projectile travelling at 18,000 mph while being 100+ miles in the atmosphere. Does this mean our country is protected now against missle attacks?

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Thursday, February 21, 2008 4:38 AM

JAYNEZTOWN

Quote:
Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
I hope all this is true. If it is, then it is a remarkable feat......being able to shoot down a projectile travelling at 18,000 mph while being 100+ miles in the atmosphere. Does this mean our country is protected now against missle attacks?

I'm not sure if it was traveling that fast, remember the Sat was already slowing down in a rapidly decaying orbit.

Facing the Russians we already did these kinds of Coldwar tests in the 70s and 80s but not from a ship. All it really means is the US ASAT capability is still very much functional and ready to hit targets in low orbit.
Another issue that might concern some folk is the Navy couldn't launch until they got fair weather.
The whole package means nothing for the latest cruise missile or MIRVs (which are next to impossible to stop)

I'd guess the whole thing was about saving the US military from embarrassment on this broken sat, making the US Navy look slick and sending a strong message to the Chinese.

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