U.S. report details China's work on anti-satellite weapons | Reuters: May 8 China has the most rapidlygrowing space program in the world, and continues to developlasers, satellite jammers and other weapons aimed at thespace-based assets of adversaries, a new U.S. report said onFriday.
China has also built a "vast ground infrastructure" tobuild, launch and control satellites, said the U.S. DefenseDepartment's annual report to Congress on military and securityissues related to China.
The report marked the latest push by U.S. military officialsto highlight increasing threats to U.S. satellite systems. Those concerns prompted the Obama administration to propose $5billion in extra spending over the next five years to increasethe security and resilience of U.S. military and spy satellites.
By October 2014, China had launched 16 spacecraft that hadexpanded its satellite communications and surveillancecapabilities, including the first satellite that provided veryhigh resolution imagery, the report said.
The report provided new details about China's so-called"counterspace" technologies. It said a launch in July 2014 hadrenewed concerns about China's development of destructive spacetechnologies, despite public statements about the use of spacefor peaceful purposes.
