Open source military analysis, strategic thinking, and imagery interpretation. To locate Google Earth placemark files for download, select the label "Google Earth Placemark" from the keywords menu. Comments are welcome and encouraged.
Sean, interesting article as always. We are looking at these issues in great detail as well.
An off topic question: Who and why did the OSINT community declare the designator for the HQ-9 TER to be the HT-233? It is consistent across the web, including APA, Trishulgroup, sinodefense.
The designator HT-233 was picked up from one of the Chinese military displays somewhere, possibly Zhuhai. There was another designator believed to be associated with it, but it popped up in a Chinese ad for the KS-1A as the new phased array for that system. That one was SJ-something if I remember right.
SJ-231. There's a page on the BIRM site (casic23.com.cn). Looks like they just cut off the processing cabin, but the array looks like the "old" HT-233 photos. Radome and IFF on top of the newer photos looks less like Patriot and more like TOMB STONE.
Very interesting, well documented and through article, i'm impressed! I was wondering if you have any hints or evidence of Beamed Energy Propulsion activity which we feel (being involved heavily in the field) is a much bigger threat in terms of strategic capabilities.
Sean, US is not the sole operator of imagery spy satellites. I wonder if some other countries had not suffered the same attacks? Any evidence/possibilities of that (Russia,France, Israël,...)
Sean, this was a good report. It seems like 863 deals a lot with a lot of their R&D! I was wondering if you had noticed any attention or interest in this post by the Chinese.
Excellent analysis! But the Zip file that you linked to appears to be corrupted. You also mention that the file size is 40 megs, but when I went to download it, the file size appeared to be 25 megs. Would it be possible for you to please fix the link? I am eager to check out the documents in that zip file.
Is it possible for there to be a correlation between Yaogan 1 breakup in February and a destructive laser ASAT test? From what I know about spacecrafts its very unlikely a monoprop tank can just blow up for no reason.
Sean, interesting article as always. We are looking at these issues in great detail as well.
ReplyDeleteAn off topic question: Who and why did the OSINT community declare the designator for the HQ-9 TER to be the HT-233? It is consistent across the web, including APA, Trishulgroup, sinodefense.
The designator HT-233 was picked up from one of the Chinese military displays somewhere, possibly Zhuhai. There was another designator believed to be associated with it, but it popped up in a Chinese ad for the KS-1A as the new phased array for that system. That one was SJ-something if I remember right.
ReplyDeleteSJ-231. There's a page on the BIRM site (casic23.com.cn). Looks like they just cut off the processing cabin, but the array looks like the "old" HT-233 photos. Radome and IFF on top of the newer photos looks less like Patriot and more like TOMB STONE.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, well documented and through article, i'm impressed!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you have any hints or evidence of Beamed Energy Propulsion activity which we feel (being involved heavily in the field) is a much bigger threat in terms of strategic capabilities.
Sean, US is not the sole operator of imagery spy satellites. I wonder if some other countries had not suffered the same attacks? Any evidence/possibilities of that (Russia,France, Israël,...)
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly possible, but there is no evidence in open source material that this has taken place.
ReplyDeleteSean, this was a good report. It seems like 863 deals a lot with a lot of their R&D! I was wondering if you had noticed any attention or interest in this post by the Chinese.
ReplyDeleteSean,
ReplyDeleteExcellent analysis! But the Zip file that you linked to appears to be corrupted. You also mention that the file size is 40 megs, but when I went to download it, the file size appeared to be 25 megs. Would it be possible for you to please fix the link? I am eager to check out the documents in that zip file.
Thanks!
Is it possible for there to be a correlation between Yaogan 1 breakup in February and a destructive laser ASAT test? From what I know about spacecrafts its very unlikely a monoprop tank can just blow up for no reason.
ReplyDelete