U.S. Military Warns of Threat From Chinese-Run Space Station in Argentina

[Judi Lynn]

U.S. Military Warns of Threat From Chinese-Run Space Station in Argentina
Defense officials are worried about a remote compound Beijing says helped it land on the far side of the moon.
BY LARA SELIGMAN | FEBRUARY 8, 2019, 2:21 PM



The main antenna of a Chinese deep space ground station in the Neuquén province, Argentina. (Argentina Presidency of the Nation)

Senior U.S. defense officials are growing increasingly concerned that the Chinese military can monitor and potentially target U.S. and allied satellites from a new deep space ground station in the Western Hemisphere, located in the deserts of Patagonia.

In wide-ranging testimony before the U.S. Congress on Feb. 7, Adm. Craig Faller, the newly confirmed commander of U.S. Southern Command, warned lawmakers about China’s accelerated expansion into Latin America. Not only does China support the autocratic regimes in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua and employ predatory lending practices across the region, but it is also investing in key infrastructure such as a deep-space tracking facility in Argentina, Faller told lawmakers.

U.S. military and intelligence officials have been watching the development of this particular facility with growing alarm since its inception. Over the past few years, a powerful 16-story antenna has risen from the remote, 200-hectare compound in the Neuquén province. But the station, which is surrounded by an 8-foot barbed wire fence, operates with little oversight from Argentine authorities, experts say. The ground station reportedly began operations in April 2018.

China has insisted that the aim of the facility is peaceful space exploration and observation. For example, it is said to have played a critical role in China’s landing a spacecraft on the dark side of the moon in January.

More:
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/02/08/us-military-warns-of-threat-from-chinese-run-space-station-in-argentina/

[Voltaire2]

1. Poor babies. It sucks to have a capable rival.

Our global hegemony lasted less than a decade.

It was always a shitty idea.

[dalton99a]

2. Chinese compound:

[Matilda]

3. In Australia, the Port of Darwin has been leased for 99 years to a Chinese company,

and many Australians feel very uneasy about it.

Chinese businessmen have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to Australian politicians (mainly the ruling Liberal Party). And while politicians smile glibly, many Australians do wonder just what's afoot.

Read on:

"The bid for the port was examined and approved by the Foreign Investments Review Board, the Defence Department and ASIO.

"But the deal put Darwin directly in the crossfire between US and Chinese interests. Then US president Barack Obama expressed concern about the lack of consultation. Former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage said he was “stunned” that Australia had “blind-sided” its ally.

"While the centre of US-Chinese tensions is the South China Sea – where China has militarised reefs in disputed waters – Darwin is important because it is the southern flank of US operations in the Pacific."


https://theconversation.com/darwin-ports-sale-is-a-blueprint-for-chinas-future-economic-expansion-108254

[LakeSuperiorView]

4. What, exactly, are they going to target satellites with?

If they had a tenth of the capabilities that we have, I'd be surprised. This place is a radio station, a boom box with really big antenna. And if you are young enough to not know exactly what a boom box is - there is no boom except bass notes.

[Zorro]

5. They can muck with US polar orbiting satellites from there

[LakeSuperiorView]

6. With an antenna?

Do you think they have some sort of death ray attached to it? Maybe sharks with fricking lasers on their foreheads? Or just ill tempered mutant Chilean Sea Bass?

[Zorro]

7. You obviously don't know that antennas can also radiate

Perhaps you should find a copy of "Satellite Communications for Dummies" and educate yourself.

[LakeSuperiorView]

8. Please educate us all on just what they could do.

Since you are such an expert, please elucidate your death ray (gee, wouldn't that be radiating from the antenna?) that is going to "muck with US polar orbiting satellites". You know, since you are such an expert and all...

[Zorro]

9. Here's a paragraph to assist in your education

<snip>
"The global threat of electronic warfare (EW) attacks against space systems will expand in the coming years in both number and types of weapons. Development will very likely focus on jamming capabilities against dedicated military satellite communications (SATCOM), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging satellites, and enhanced capabilities against Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as the US Global Positioning System (GPS). Blending of EW and cyber-attack capabilities will likely expand in pursuit of sophisticated means to deny and degrade information networks. Chinese researchers have discussed methods to enhance robust jamming capabilities with new systems to jam commonly used frequencies."
<snip>

Extract from the Statement for the Record, Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community to Senate Select Committee on Intelligence by Daniel R. Coats, Director of National Intelligence, May 11, 2017.

https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/Newsroom/Testimonies/SSCI%20Unclassified%20SFR%20-%20Final.pdf

Let me know if you need help with the big words.

[LakeSuperiorView]

10. Gee, what ever are we going to do if they jam the signals while the satellite is over Argentina?

I guess we won't be able to get turn by turn directions in Buenos Aires...

[Zorro]

11. Your grasp of technology is very impressive.

Not.

[LakeSuperiorView]

12. Oh, I know I can't hold a candle to your vast knowledge...

It would severely muck with your intelligence.

[Zorro]

13. Perhaps you should consider changing your screen name

LakeInferiorView would seem to fit well.

[LakeSuperiorView]

14. Still waiting on your explanation on how they are going "muck with" the satellites...

Jamming uplinks where we don't uplink anything isn't going to really hurt anything.

You got anything other than insults to back up your bravado? They can't broadcast a signal strong enough to burn anything out.

A facility defended by a chain link fence would certainly foil any attempts to take it out, if there were any reason to do that.

The only thing left is your stunning tenacity in defending a ignorant claim...

[Zorro]

15. Sorry

Don't have a comic book version of DNI Coats' statement for you to ruminate over.

[LakeSuperiorView]

16. You really need to learn how to use Google.

If you want to find semi-plausible defenses for ridiculous claims, Google is your friend.

Still waiting on how to "muck with a satellite" with an antenna...

I'll check back in the morning and see if you can pull anything more than another lame insult out of your keyboard.

Don't stay up all night...