Pace, Gates on Chinese ASAT

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-02-06-voa69.cfm

General: US Must Check Capability After Chinese Anti-Satellite Test
By Al Pessin
Pentagon
06 February 2007

The top U.S. military officer says the United States needs to look at
its own capabilities in the wake of China's anti-satellite weapon test
last month, with a view toward closing any capability gap that now
exists. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, told a
Senate committee the Chinese anti-satellite capability is "very
worrying."

"It is a unique capacity in the world and we need to take a look at
where are we with regard to that capacity, where should be, and if
there is a gap, how we close it," he said. "It is something that
deserves very close attention."

But General Pace said the Chinese anti-satellite weapon is only a
threat if China intends to use it, and he said there is no indication
of that so far. At the same hearing, Defense Secretary Robert Gates
called the Chinese test "very troubling," and said he, too, is
concerned about China's intentions.

"What is as troubling as the technical achievement is how one
interprets it as a part of their own strategic outlook and how they
would anticipate using that kind of a capability in the event of a
conflict, and the consequences for us of that," he noted.

[snip]

Last week, the deputy director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said
his organization could fairly easily develop a system to counter
China's new anti-satellite weapon, but it has not been told to do so.
He and other U.S. military officials have said China's newly
demonstrated ability to shoot down satellites does not threaten
critical U.S. capabilities.

The U.S. military relies on satellites for many functions, ranging
from weather reports to targeting for combat forces and the new
missile defense system. But the military officials say the space-
based systems have multiple backup capabilities that ensure the flow
of data, even if some satellites or ground stations are attacked.

[snip]