Title: Random Talks on Technologies to Counter Satellite Reconnaissance  

Document Number: FBIS-CHI-2002-0124
Document Date: 23 Jan 2002
Sourceline: CPP20020124000160 Beijing Jiefangjun Bao (Internet Version-WWW) in 
Chinese 23 Jan 2002 
AFS Number: CPP20020124000160 
Citysource: Beijing Jiefangjun Bao (Internet Version-WWW) 
Language: Chinese 
Subslug: Article by Zhao Shu-qing: "Random Talks on Technologies to Counter 
Satellite Reconnaissance" 

[FBIS Translated Text] Methods to counter satellite reconnaissance may be 
summarized in four words, namely dodging, changing, deceiving and 
counteroffensive. 

"Dodging" means flexibly evading reconnaissance by grasping the laws of 
satellite operation. Since satellites can only fly on preset orbits, 
people can, through tracking and observation, accurately figure out the 
time that a reconnaissance satellite will fly over a ground target. Under 
general conditions, there will be only two to four satellites making 
reconnaissance and taking pictures over the sky at the same time. A 
satellite can only make such reconnaissance twice for about 10 minutes 
each time and cannot perform the same task at other times. Therefore, the 
defenders can use the "gap" between the effective reconnaissance duration 
of satellites as much as possible to carry out military activities. When 
the reconnaissance satellite flies over the target area, ground 
activities should be fully concealed. When the satellite passes away, 
there will be a "gap" during which the ground troops can boldly carry out 
operations. During the Cold War period, the Soviet Union military 
headquarters transmitted the forecast on the paths of foreign satellites 
daily and various units and bases would shut down their important 
electronics equipment when foreign satellites were flying over those 
targets. 

"Changing" means appropriately changing the operation of ground units to 
reduce the effectiveness of satellite reconnaissance in light of the 
special character that reconnaissance satellites can only indirectly 
gather target information through remote sensing. The best way to counter 
electronics reconnaissance by satellites is to enforce strict 
electromagnetic radiation control and management in both peace and war 
time and not to use important electromagnetic radiation signals in 
ordinary time. The fundamental way to counter electronics reconnaissance 
satellite is to adopt new radar and communications systems and employ 
counter-reconnaissance technologies such as frequency agility, pulse 
encoding, ultra low side band and side-lobe blanking and 
counter-reconnaissance communications technologies such as jump frequency 
and widening frequency to reduce the efficiency of reconnaissance 
satellites. 

"Deceiving" means to camouflage through studying and analyzing the shape 
of targets. For instance, toward photo reconnaissance satellites, people 
can install false targets or change the shape, size, color, shade and 
position of targets to pass false imitations for genuine things. Toward 
electronics reconnaissance satellites, people can install false launching 
sites and other things. Although reconnaissance satellites have a certain 
"vision," the ground troops can make them "useless" through good 
camouflage and concealment. During the Kosovo War, the Yugoslav military 
wisely camouflaged important military bases and facilities and protected 
military strength through creating false military targets and other 
methods. 

"Counteroffensive" means taking the offensive-defensive method and using 
various kinds of weapons to destroy satellite equipment or the body. 
Using a strong radiation weapon is an important means. Strong radiation 
weapons are a new kind of weapons, including laser weapons, microwave 
weapons and particle beam weapons. Laser weapons are quite suitable for 
destroying satellites in outer space and intercontinental ballistic 
missiles. High-power microwave weapons can make electronics equipment of 
satellites ineffective and also can destroy the equipment and satellite 
itself. Particle beam weapons launch negative electrons or positive 
protons and use powerful kinetic energy of a high speed charged particle 
flux to destroy targets. In 1997, two US reconnaissance satellites 
stopped operation for four hours when flying over Siberia of the then 
Soviet Union and the infrared sensor was temporarily blind. The United 
States held that it was due to Soviet interference by using a powerful 
laser. In 1981, the laser weapon of a Soviet satellite totally damaged 
the photographic, infrared and electronics equipment of a US satellite. 
In 1985, the United States for the first time launched a 
counter-satellite missile from an F-15 fighter and accurately destroyed a 
military satellite at an attitude of 500 km. In 1997, the United States 
conducted a test of using a ground laser weapon to attack a satellite and 
the laser beam of the high energy laser system hit a reconnaissance 
satellite launched by the United States in 1996. 

[Description of Source: Beijing Jiefangjun Bao (Internet Version-WWW) in 
Chinese -- Internet version of the daily newspaper of the General 
Political Department of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), reporting on 
a wide range of military affairs.   Root URL at filing date:   
http://www.pladaily.com/]