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Lack Of Protected Satellite Communications Could Mean Defeat For Joint Force In Future War
Lexington Institute ^ | 4/14/2010 | Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D.

Posted on 04/20/2010 9:35:02 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld

In the years since the Cold War ended, the U.S. military has become heavily dependent upon satellite communications to maintain its global connectivity. Without such links, it would be difficult for the military to operate in a coordinated fashion or exchange information critical to situational awareness. Defense experts have repeatedly warned that the availability of space-based communications could be compromised in future conflicts by the fact that 80-90% of all military traffic is transmitted on vulnerable commercial satcom channels. However, there is a related problem that far fewer military observers have noticed: only about 1% of defense communications today are protected against even the most modest jamming threats.

Jamming means overloading key frequencies with so much electronic "noise" that communications cannot get through to intended destinations. It's a simple process in the case of unprotected satellite links, because signals are relatively weak after traveling 22,000 miles from transponders in geosynchronous orbit -- the orbit that communications satellites must maintain in order to serve as "stationary" links above particular points on the Earth's surface (they aren't really stationary, but they appear to be because their rotation matches that of the Earth). If the satellites were any closer to Earth they would zoom across the surface at a speed of several miles per second, making them unavailable as communications nodes most of the time. So they must sit 22,000 miles above sea level, which makes their signals easy to overwhelm with modest amounts of electromagnetic interference, especially if the jammer is near communications receivers.

(Excerpt) Read more at lexingtoninstitute.org ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: aehf; aerospace; communications; emp; geo; geosynchronous; information; jamming; militarysatellites; salellites; satcom; space; usmilitary

1 posted on 04/20/2010 9:35:02 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
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To: sonofstrangelove

Is it true that geosynchronous satellites can only be reached by the space shuttle?


2 posted on 04/20/2010 9:41:30 PM PDT by smokingfrog (Free Men will always be armed with the Truth.)
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To: smokingfrog

The Space Shuttle range is low Earth Orbit.


3 posted on 04/20/2010 9:43:57 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Wernher Von Braun)
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To: smokingfrog

They cannot be reached by the shuttle.

I do not believe that any manned craft is able to reach geosynchronous orbit at this time.

Such a thing could of course be done if someone wanted to spend the $ to set up for it.


4 posted on 04/20/2010 9:47:39 PM PDT by Bobalu (Free men are not equal. Equal men are not free.)
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To: sonofstrangelove

This seems a real problem since I’d noticed in various catalogues for the military academies that they’d been offering specialties (and by now perhaps even majors) in electronic warfare.

With the high priority given to such fields of study, and their hopeful extension into other areas of government service and private industry, what are the critical issues herein? Why doesn’t the United States have a technological lock on these endeavors? And what kind of expenses is obamination costing us in this area?

God help us.


5 posted on 04/20/2010 9:50:58 PM PDT by onedoug
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To: smokingfrog

The altitude record for a human spaceflight in LEO was Gemini 11 with an apogee of 1,374.1 km.


6 posted on 04/20/2010 10:00:24 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Wernher Von Braun)
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To: sonofstrangelove

I’m not sure that this guy knows that much about geosynchronous satellites and jamming.

Uplinks to these birds can be from a small spot beam footprint. A 1watt signal sent up to the bird from inside this area will reach it. To jam this uplink you must also be inside the spot beam footprint. So if the spot beam was centered on Langley you would need to be nearby to interfere.

The downlinks can also be spot beamed to a smaller area. This is how the Dish network And Direct TV send down some local TV station signals. They re-use the same spectrum with spot beams to different areas of the country. This is why you generally cannot pick up a local Los Angeles station if you are in say New York City...you are way outside the spot beam area and the same frequencies are in use carrying local New York stations. The satellite internet providers like Wild Blue use spot beams to target
different areas using the same frequencies, getting multiple use from their bandwidth.

If someone wanted to interfere with the downlink signal from a sat they would have to be extremely close to the
pickup dish since any signals off to the side and on the ground would be down probably at least 100db.


7 posted on 04/20/2010 10:00:33 PM PDT by Bobalu (Free men are not equal. Equal men are not free.)
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To: sonofstrangelove

later


8 posted on 04/20/2010 10:01:05 PM PDT by goodnesswins (The PLANTATION Party is at it again (the DEMS) ....trying to make slaves of everyone)
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To: Bobalu
I guess I’ve been around a little too long but I remember secure earth bound comm systems that are still in existence today. The sat stuff is important but if someone needs to get a launch command they will get it no matter what.
9 posted on 04/20/2010 10:15:35 PM PDT by oldenuff2no (Proud vet)
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To: sonofstrangelove

Hey Joint Chiefs - the usurper has loaded up the govt and defense dept with muslim brotherhood moles. Do your Constitutional duty.


10 posted on 04/20/2010 10:26:55 PM PDT by Frantzie (McCain=Obama's friend. McCain & Graham = La Raza's favorite Senators)
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To: sonofstrangelove

But we still got UAP`s [Unmanned Aerial Pigeons] as backups.


11 posted on 04/20/2010 10:28:44 PM PDT by bunkerhill7
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To: Bobalu

I’m sure that the exotic craft could reach such.

However, folks in charge of such craft have also reportedly been training humans with special DNA patterns to manage communications of military info via ‘critter’ ‘telepathic’ means.

Will see what all shakes out when the dust settles, I suspect.

We live in a very strange and interesting era where smoke, mirrors, disinformation, truth, half truths, lies, millenia long crafted deceptions are all mangled together most . . . complicatedly.


12 posted on 04/21/2010 2:20:39 AM PDT by Quix (BLOKES who got us where we R: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2130557/posts?page=81#81)
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To: sonofstrangelove

Technically, the moon is in earth orbit. I do beleive more than on Apollo crew broke that Gemini XI record for highest orbit around the Earth.


13 posted on 04/21/2010 4:23:40 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: Yo-Yo
I do beleive more than one Apollo crew...

"Pat, I'd like to buy an 'E,' please?"


14 posted on 04/21/2010 4:29:43 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: Yo-Yo

New type of satellites class: KC-X.


15 posted on 04/21/2010 6:33:36 AM PDT by MHalblaub ("Easy my friends, when it comes to the point it is only a drawing made by a non believing Dane...")
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To: Yo-Yo

Good example of successful mummification... ‘-)


16 posted on 04/21/2010 9:11:51 AM PDT by TXnMA ("Allah": Satan's current alias...)
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To: Yo-Yo

Gemini XI broke the record for LEO.


17 posted on 04/21/2010 4:52:35 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Wernher Von Braun)
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