Tag Archives: spy satellite

Chinese satellites eyeing Norfolk Naval Base

Norfolk-Naval-Base

Important Takeaways:

  • China Scans ‘World’s Largest Naval Base’ In USA; US Navy’s Norfolk Naval Station ‘Unmasked’ By Spy Satellite
  • In a display of its growing space prowess and surveillance capabilities, radar images of a US Navy base taken by a Chinese satellite are circulating online. Appearing first on China’s domestic social media platform Weibo, defense analysts later identified the spacecraft as the Taijing-4 03 “flat-plate radar imaging satellite” and identified the naval facility as the Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.
  • The radar image showed three aircraft carriers, what appeared to be two Arleigh Burke-class warships. Four other vessels in the image, however, cannot be identified.
  • The Norfolk base, on the east coast of the US, is one of the premier naval bases responsible for projecting power and operations in the Atlantic Ocean and is home to the Military Sealift Command and the submarines of the Atlantic Fleet. It is also the world’s largest shore-based naval establishment, supporting 75 ships and 134 aircraft alongside 14 piers and 11 aircraft hangars.
  • According to one report, the Taijing-4 03, the first Chinese commercial satellite of phased-array radar imaging in the Ku band, is a part of the Taijing series of satellites. These play a crucial role in China’s “remote sensing capabilities,” offering various applications such as “disaster and environmental surveillance, natural resource exploration, agricultural yield estimation, and land and maritime mapping.”
  • In January this year, satellite images showed that China had built a replica of the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford for use as a target. The mock-ups reflect the trend of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) focus on counter-US aircraft carriers and other capital ships. The targets are more representative of reality and help obtain more accurate data during tests.
  • At a broader level, the satellite is also part of the private space race between the US and China, apart from the general intensifying space exploration contest and the overall military, technological, and political competition.
  • Beijing, too, has seen several private space technology companies mushroom over the last few years, rivaling US giants like SpaceX, Boeing, and Blue Origin.

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Experts say North Korea is at a new stage launching multiple ballistic missiles at once in attempt to overwhelm the enemy

NK-Missile-launch-on-TV

Important Takeaways:

  • North Korea fired at least 10 apparent short-range ballistic missiles toward the waters off its eastern coast on Thursday, Seoul said, days after its attempt to put another spy satellite launch into orbit ended in a ball of fire.
  • South Korean officials said the short-range weapons had been fired from the Sunan area of Pyongyang, traveling around 350 kilometers (215 miles) before splashing down into the Sea of Japan.
  • Speaking at a news conference later Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said more “provocations” by Pyongyang were likely in store.
  • “We believe that North Korea may continue to launch various types of missiles and other provocations in the future,” Hayashi said. “The government will continue to work closely with the United States and South Korea to collect and analyze necessary information and do its utmost to monitor the situation.”
  • While the North has in the past launched multiple missiles in a single volley — apparently training for conducting so-called saturation strikes that overwhelm enemy defenses — the sheer number Thursday was unusual.
  • Decker Eveleth, an analyst with the CNA research group, said these types of saturation drills could become a new normal for the North.
  • “We will likely see more big salvo launches out of DPRK going forward”

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North Korea seeking to place first military spy satellite into orbit to monitor U.S. and South Korea

J-Alert Warning

Important Takeaways:

  • North Korea says latest spy satellite launch failed, but will try again
  • The launch prompted an emergency warning in Japan just before 4 a.m. local time (1900 GMT) over the J-alert broadcasting system, telling residents of the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa to take cover.
  • North Korea space agency says will try again in October
  • South Korea’s National Security Council condemned the launch as a provocation and violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning the North’s use of ballistic missile technology.
  • North Korea has made multiple attempts to launch “earth observation” satellites, two of which appeared to have been successfully placed in orbit, including in 2016.

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