Military space reconnaissance capabilities are proliferating. This week, the U.S., Israel, India, China and Brazil could advance their commercial, technological and strategic interests with new milsats set to be launched. Once aloft, the satellites will look into each other's backyards and try to steal each other's customers. And they all will be watching Iran.
China is starting to ramp up its scramjet propulsion work -- an initiative that will benefit high-speed missile programs. Over the next several decades, the scramjet work could eventually provide China with a tactical hypersonic global-strike capability beyond the country's strategic ballistic missile force. The U.S. has similar goals for its own growing scramjet program.
Secret new U. S. intelligence about China proves the Chinese are accelerating the test of new medium and long range ballistic missiles which could affect Taiwan and U. S. strategy toward China, especially if it were ever to attack Taiwan.
China is beginning an unprecedented surge in the flight test of new ballistic missiles at the same time that the U.S. is starting a lengthy transition of missile-warning satellite systems, critical for providing intelligence on this test activity.
The Bush administration for the first time says it has intelligence proving detailed and ongoing collaboration between Iran and North Korea in the development of new ballistic missiles. The Pentagon has also just released previously secret intelligence data on new Iranian and North Korean ballistic missiles under development.
Iran has converted one of its most powerful ballistic missiles into a satellite launch vehicle. The 30-ton rocket could also be a wolf in sheep's clothing for testing longer-range missile strike technologies.