The Guardian is reporting that recent documents have revealed that the US is looking towards the using orbital platforms for weapons, and researching the use of weapons in space:
Internal USAF documents reveal that seizing control of the ‘final frontier’ is deemed essential for modern warfare. Counterspace Operations reveals that destroying enemy satellites would improve the chance of victory. It states: ‘Space superiority provides freedom to attack as well as freedom from attack. Space and air superiority are crucial first steps in any military operation.’
Theresa Hitchens, vice-president of a Washington-based independent think-tank, the Centre for Defence Information, said: ‘These documents show that they are taking space control seriously.’
Inevitable I suppose.
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Developments in Military Space: Movement toward space weapons?1
http://www.cdi.org/pdfs/space-weapons.pdf
Fan-Ji 1″ (counter-attack No. 1)
“Fan-Ji 2” (Counter-attack No. 2) TMD
“Fan-Ji 3” (Counter-attack No. 3)
Missile Defenses. The PRC loudly protests U.S. Theater and National anti-missile plans but says almost nothing about its own anti-missile or anti-satellite programs. However, until the disruptions of the Cultural Revolution in the 1970s, the PRC did have an anti-missile program. A mid-2001 report in the PRC magazine Hang Tien noted that the PLA’s ABM program included the construction of two anti-missile systems: the FAN JI 1 (Counter-attack 1) and the FAN JI 2. The later was tested five times. A FAN JI 3 was also designed but the FAN JI program reportedly did not survive the chaos of the Cultural Revolution.[121]
PRC aerospace engineering reports from the mid-1990s, thought to be co-authored by the head of the China Aero Space Corporation’s 2nd Academy, which manufactures surface-to-air missiles, may indicate that the PRC developing anti-missile or anti-satellite systems.[122] Another report notes the heat signature characteristics of tactical ballistic missiles and the requirements for infrared anti-missile seekers.[123]
New imported PLA air defense missiles and their technology are at least giving the PLA a limited ATBM capability. According to Chinese officials interviewed at the 1998 Zhuhai Airshow, China was planning to develop a new version of the FT–2000 surface-to-air missile (SAM) that could have an anti-tactical ballistic missile (ATBM) capability. S-300PMU-2 SAMs being purchased from Russia can also intercept TBMs.
Russia is also a possible source for more sophisticated anti-missile defenses. Since at least 1952 the Russian have been working to create the radar, missiles and other technologies needed for a national missile defense system. For most of the Cold War Moscow was protected by progressively improved missile defense systems. In 2001 Russia offered to cooperate with Europe and the U.S. to build a new missile defenses and the Pentagon has reported that the PLA and Russia may be cooperating on missile defenses.
Durga or Directionally Unrestricted Ray-Gun Array.
Kali or Kinetic Attack Loitering Interceptor,