'star' wars

[MatthewPapa]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6276543.stm

US condemns China 'space weapon'

The United States, Australia and Canada have criticised China over a weapons test it is said to have carried out in space last week. The Americans say the Chinese sent up a ballistic missile to destroy an ageing weather satellite.
They say the test went against the spirit of co-operation both countries aspire to in the area of civil space.
Reports say Britain, South Korea and Japan were expected to express their concerns to China soon.
Earlier, a report in the American Aviation Week magazine said that US spy agencies had concluded that China conducted a successful test of a satellite-killing weapon on January 11.
It said China knocked out the weather satellite with a "kinetic kill vehicle" launched on board a ballistic missile.
The impact occurred at more than 500 miles (800 km) above Earth.

Kinda scary isnt it? An action like this will only encourage the USA and Europeans to develop weapons to counter this. Anyone up for another space race, except this time with guns?

[Taristin]

Pfft, weve likely had weapons like this for ages. We're just upset that they might use it to disable our satelite based nukes >..>;;






And theyd better not <..<

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Were't there reports of China using a ground based laser system to disrupt our satellites a few months ago?

[MatthewPapa]

I wouldnt doubt it.

I really dont trust the Chinese that much compared to other foreign countries. Dunno why, but I just never have.

Dunno if you remember this quote from the movie Red Dawn:
"Its the two biggest kids on the block. Sooner or later they're gonna fight"

[Respenus]

Now the USA has railguns.

The war of tommorow will be an interesting one!

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Yea we have them but they are not practical yet. They haven't got the entire system small enough to be mobile. Same thing with the anti-missle planes. They have the technology to drop an enemy missle right back on the country launching it but haven't quite got it small enough to fit in a plane yet.

You know the one that I always found interesting was the Genevia convetion article that prohibits the use of laser rifles on enemy troops because of the damage they do (like cutting people in half but leaving them alive). If we don't have them then how do they know they do this?

[karajorma]

I though Geneva banned laser weapons because they considered it inhumane to permanently blind an enemy.

[DaBrain]

Well... a gun can permanantly kill a person... Still it's not banned.

I guess everything is allowed in the war. And as long as I'm on the surface of the planet, I prefer wars in space.

Anyway, I think tests like this happen very often. New weapons, new tech warefare... In whatever nation.
We just never get to know 90% of it... or even more...

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Well it's also illegal to use a gun above a certain calibur on a soilder. Pretty sure 50 cal is illegal. Although as a friend of mine who went to the Marines always said they told him in boot camp to just remember they are wearing a uniform. That's equipment and it's legal to use anything on equipment.

Another good one. Nalpalm on troops = illegal. Nalpalm on minefield = legal. Nalpalm on troops in minefiled = their own damn fault.

[takashi]

this is seeming alot like the start of a freespace game.

"freespace: absolute reality"

[StarSlayer]

I do not know what weapons will be used in World War III but rest assured the one after that will be fought with sticks and stones...

[karajorma]

Originally Posted by DaBrain

Well... a gun can permanantly kill a person... Still it's not banned.

I think the point was that a laser weapon would blind the enemy but not kill him. Which would mean that after the war there would be a lot more blind people on both sides.

Personally I reckon that the people involved would probably prefer that to their being a lot more dead people on both sides but who said that the rules of warfare were ever sensible?

[Star Dragon]

Um if the JSF is armed with lasers is that illegal? Jane's listed them (I think)...

[DaBrain]

Originally Posted by karajorma

I think the point was that a laser weapon would blind the enemy but not kill him. Which would mean that after the war there would be a lot more blind people on both sides.

Personally I reckon that the people involved would probably prefer that to their being a lot more dead people on both sides but who said that the rules of warfare were ever sensible?

Still... I'd prefer beeing blind after the war, over beeing dead... I guess.

In 'real' war, everything is allowed.

[karajorma]

I think the rules exist to stop people developing blinding weapons so that they can then drop them and say "Oh well at least the civilians we accidentally hit with it aren't dead"

[Syphe D. Mar]

Originally Posted by MatthewPapa

I really dont trust the Chinese that much compared to other foreign countries. Dunno why, but I just never have.

Sorry for the unnecessary bump, but Chinese and China are two different concepts and ideas. And there's really anything that cannot be trusted now, with the UN slitting a nation's throat that are a threat to humanity. No one is dumb enough to even try attempting a World War III, hence, all nuclear weapons are considered a boast rather than a weapon.

And, I think I rather die than be blind for life, which I might as well be dead (in the battlefield). Once I'm blind and is listed MIA, I have to face starvation, thirst, and prolonged death without the ability to see and a small chance of being tortured.

[Water]

Originally Posted by Syphe D. Mar

No one is dumb enough to even try attempting a World War III, hence, all nuclear weapons are considered a boast rather than a weapon.

Something as simple as a society with a massive military investment in which the media has installed fear plus a leader suffering from a reality dysfunction, who develops a habit of invading/destroying other countries. Usually it's the one country too many that causes the world war. No extra effort is needed as the war will develop a life of its own.

[Syphe D. Mar]

Well, I don't think it'll happen any time soon. Look what happened to Saddam. Disfunctional, militaristic, communist, news. He met the requirements, but still didn't happen. And even if there was a WWIII soon, it'd be like Iraq. Everyone against one country.

[Mobius]

China is one country, but it's many times several other countries in the side of the US.

[frost]

I was born in the U.S. and my parents immigrated from Hong Kong.

I don't give a damn what China does because I support the Unites States all the way. USA is MY country. Just thought you might want to know.