ASAT program of China

rdf:langString ASAT program of China

rdf:langString China's anti-satellite (ASAT) program has been under development since 1964. The ASAT program has since been moved from Program 640 to Program 863, the General Armaments Department and the State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND, formerly known as Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense). Since its inception, the ASAT program has made progress on the development of three ASAT capable Systems: direct fire, directed-energy weapon, and microsatellites. Tests of these systems have either been directly acknowledged by the PRC, or reported on as ASAT capable. China is pursuing a broad and robust array of counterspace capabilities, which includes direct-ascent antisatellite missiles, co-orbital antisatellite systems, computer network operations, groundbasedsatellite jammers, and directed energy weapons. Defense Intelligence Agency chief Ashley has claimed that China has space weapons capable of shooting out satellites during the early stage of a conflict, including anti-satellite missiles, maneuvering satellites and lasers and electronic jammers. People's Liberation Army has formed military units and begun initial operational training with counterspace capabilities that it has been developing, such as ground-launched ASAT missiles.