China's L.A.S.E.R.'s, US's Satellites

October 2006
China jamming test sparks U.S. satellite concerns. China has beamed a ground−based laser at U.S. spy satellites over its territory, a U.S. agency said, in an action that exposed the potential vulnerability of space systems that provide crucial data to American troops and consumers around the world. The Department of Defense remains tight−lipped about details, including which satellite was involved or when it occurred. The Pentagon's National Reconnaissance Office Director Donald Kerr acknowledged the incident two weeks ago, first reported by Defense News, but said it did not materially damage the U.S. satellite's ability to collect information. The issue looms large, given that U.S. military operations have rapidly grown more reliant on satellite data for everything from targeting bombs to relaying communications to spying on enemy nations. Critical U.S. space assets include a constellation of 30 Global Positioning Satellites that help target bombs and find enemy locations. This system is also widely used in commercial applications, ranging from car navigation systems to automatic teller machines. The Pentagon also depends on communications satellites that relay sensitive messages to battlefield commanders, and satellites that track weather in critical areas so U.S. troops can plan their missions.

Source: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx
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