Nikkei Asian Review August 19, 2020 02:50 JST |International Relations| “US and Japan plan fleet of low-orbit satellites to track missiles” “More than 1,000 units to detect next-gen Chinese and North Korean weapons” by Yukio Tajima.
More than 1,000 small low orbit satellites, at a cost of $9B, are being developed and will be deployed mid-2020s by the US and Japan for detecting next-gen Chinese and North Korean weapons, some of which would evade current systems. Besides countering newer technology being developed by China, Russia and North Korea, nations are starting “to look at space as the final frontier for warfare.”
Currently, China has “2,000 medium range missiles capable of striking Japan”. China looks to double its nuclear arsenal in the coming years Some believe this is to “keep other nations at bay while it engages in maritime” expansion in the South China sea. North Korea is looking to “miniaturize nuclear warheads” and already has “hundreds of medium-range missiles. In common, these countries are looking for diplomatic leverage-bargaining chips to achieve more clout for international negotiations.
All these missiles fly “according to simple parabolic trajectories” but newer missiles capable of traveling at high speeds and low altitudes could evade current ground radar systems and the current “satellite network” that operates at geosynchronous orbit (36,000 km). The new defense satellites, in the US and Japanese plan, will move fast in low-orbit (300-1,000 km) and will be new "miniature"(See Figure) satellite technology already being used by the US government-weather and reconnaissance and companies like Amazon-broad band internet everywhere. Each satellite cost only about $5M and being closer to earth, travel faster improving coverage of the land area. These capabilities improve the ability “to gather more detailed information”… including “movement of warships, warplanes and ground troops.” US and Japan look to “boost intelligence sharing”…to cooperate on “China Strategy.” China and Russia “have branched out to ‘killer satellites’ that incapacitate other nation’s satellites.”
