News

 

DATE=  10/2/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-220751

TITLE=U-S LASER TEST (L)

BYLINE=REBECCA MCMENAMIN

DATELINE=PENTAGON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



INTRO:  U-S DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM COHEN HAS GIVEN APPROVAL 

FOR A CONTROVERSIAL EXPERIMENT IN WHICH A GROUND-BASED LASER WILL

BE FIRED AT AN ORBITING U-S AIR FORCE SATELLITE.  REBECCA 

MCMENAMIN REPORTS THAT WHILE THE PENTAGON VIEWS THE TEST AS AN 

OPPORTUNITY TO COLLECT VITAL DATA -- SOME MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, AS

WELL AS ARMS CONTROL ADVOCATES, ARE NOT  PLEASED.



TEXT:  THE LASER EXPERIMENT IS TO BE CONDUCTED WITHIN DAYS, 

WEATHER PERMITTING.  IN WHAT WILL BE THE FIRST TEST OF ITS KIND, 

U-S FORCES IN THE WESTERN STATE OF NEW MEXICO WILL FIRE A 

POWERFUL GROUND-BASED LASER AT A MILITARY SATELLITE ORBITING SOME

400 KILOMETERS UP IN SPACE. 



THEY WILL THEN ANALYZE SENSORS ON THE SPACECRAFT TO DETERMINE THE

EFFECTS OF THE LASER BEAM. DEFENSE OFFICIALS SAY THE  PURPOSE IS 

NOT TO DESTROY THE SATELLITE, BUT TO TEST THE VULNERABILITY OF 

SUCH SPACECRAFT TO LASERS.  THIS INFORMATION COULD BE CRITICAL IN

TIME OF WARFARE, GIVEN THE INCREASING USE OF SPACE PROBES FOR 

COMMUNICATIONS AND SPYING ACTIVITIES.



HOWEVER, CRITICS SAY SUCH A TEST COULD FUEL A NEW ARMS RACE. 

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR TOM HARKIN (OF IOWA) RELEASED A STATEMENT 

CALLING THE EXPERIMENT UNNECESSARY AND PROVOCATIVE.  HE SAYS IT 

WILL HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON ARMS CONTROL EFFORTS.  



CHARLES VICK, A RESEARCH ANALYST WITH "THE FEDERATION OF AMERICAN

SCIENTISTS" BASED IN WASHINGTON, AGREES.



                         // VICK ACT //



         IT'S CERTAINLY A PROVOCATIVE DECISION TO CARRY OUT A 

         TEST OF A WEAPONS SYSTEM THAT IS  NOT  NECESSARILY 

         NEEDED.  IT MAY BE LOOKED AT AS A PROVOCATION BY OTHER 

         NATIONS, CREATING A NEW STRATEGIC ARMS RACE FOR THAT 

         KIND OF CAPABILITY.



                          // END ACT //



BUT A PENTAGON SPOKESMAN, NAVY CAPTAIN MIKE DOUBLEDAY, REJECTS 

SUCH CRITICISM.  HE SAYS THE TEST DOES  NOT VIOLATE ANY 

INTERNATIONAL TREATIES AND THAT IT IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF 

EFFORTS TO PROTECT AMERICAN SATELLITES.



                       // DOUBLEDAY ACT //



         WE'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR. THIS IS AN EXPERIMENT BEING USED 

         TO REDUCE VULNERABILITY OF U-S SATELLITE SYSTEMS.  IT IS

         A LOGICAL STEP TO TAKE.  WE ARE INTERESTED HERE IN 

         GATHERING DATA WHICH CAN IMPROVE OUR PLANNING FOR 

         PROTECTION OF OUR SATELLITES.



                          // END ACT //



CAPTAIN DOUBLEDAY ADDS THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT IS BECOMING MORE 

RELIANT ON WEAPONS TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE SATELLITE-BASED SO, IN 

HIS WORDS, IT IS PRUDENT TO MAKE THE SPACE PROBES AS SAFE AS 

POSSIBLE.



                         // REST OPT //



MEANWHILE, THERE IS YET ANOTHER ASPECT TO THE CRITICISM OF THE 

PENTAGON DECISION -- COMING FROM THE COMPANY THAT MANUFACTURED 

THE TARGET SATELLITE, SPECTRUM ASTRO.  COMPANY SPOKESMAN STAN 

DUBYN SAYS ONLY 40 PERCENT OF THE SPACECRAFT'S CAPABILITY HAS 

BEEN EXPLOITED DURING ITS 15 MONTHS IN ORBIT.



                         // DUBYN ACT //



         IT IS SIGNIFICANTLY PREMATURE TO BE PUTTING THIS 

         SPACECRFAT OUT OF COMMISSION AT THIS JUNCTURE.  WE 

         SPECIFICALLY PUT THREE YEARS OF FUEL ON BOARD HOPING WE 

         WOULD GET TO OPERATE THE SPACECRAFT FOR THREE YEARS.  



                          // END ACT //



MR. DUBYN SAYS THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES 

AND COMMERCIAL INTERESTS WILLING TO PAY FOR INFORMATION THE 

SATELLITE COULD  STILL PROVIDE.  THIS RANGES FROM DATA ABOUT 

MINERAL AND MINING EXPLORATION, TO TRENDS REGARDING CROPS AND 

FORESTATION, AND EVEN FOREST FIRES AND OIL SLICKS. (SIGNED)



NEB/RJM/RRM



02-Oct-97 4:46 PM EDT (2046 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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