DATE=  10/23/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-221640

TITLE=PENTAGON/LASER TEST (S-ONLY)

BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE

DATELINE=PENTAGON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



INTRO:  THE U-S DEFENSE DEPARTMENT SAYS LAST WEEK'S TEST-FIRING 

OF A LASER BEAM TARGETING AN AIR FORCE SATELLITE FAILED TO 

PROVIDE THE PENTAGON WITH ALL THE INFORMATION IT WANTED ABOUT HOW

VULNERABLE AMERICAN SATELLITES MIGHT BE TO A LASER ATTACK BY A 

HOSTILE NATION.  MORE ABOUT A CONTROVERSIAL TEST THAT HAS RAISED 

NEW CONCERNS IN RUSSIA FROM  V-O-A'S CORRESPONDENT NICK SIMEONE 

AT THE PENTAGON.  



TEXT:  THE PENTAGON IS STILL ASSESSING THE RESULTS BUT IT APPEARS

THE AGING SATELLITE MALFUNCTIONED AFTER IT WAS HIT BY THE LASER 

BEAM AND THEN FAILED TO SEND BACK ALL THE DATA THAT THE ARMY HAD 

HOPED FOR.



SPOKESMAN KEN BACON SAYS THE TWO MINUTE TEST CONDUCTED LAST 

FRIDAY FROM NEW MEXICO'S WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE FELL SHORT OF 

GIVING THE PENTAGON A FULL PICTURE OF HOW VULNERABLE AMERICAN 

SATELLITES MAY BE TO ENEMY LASERS.  



                        /// BACON ACT ///



         WE DID NOT GET AS MUCH VISUAL INFORMATION, THAT IS 

         INFORMATION BACK FROM THE SENSORS ON THE SATELLITE AS WE

         WANTED.  WE WANTED VISUAL INFORMATION THAT WOULD TELL US

         ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THE LASER ON THE SENSORS AT HIGH 

         POWER.



                         /// END ACT ///



THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE ARMY HAS FIRED A LASER AT AN ORBITING

SATELLITE SEVERAL HUNDRED KILOMETERS ABOVE EARTH, AND IT HAS 

SPARKED CONCERNS FROM THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS CRITICS 

IN THE UNITED STATES WHO WORRY IT MARKS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD A 

SPACE BASED ARMS RACE.  THE PENTAGON DENIES THAT AND MAINTAINS 

THIS EXPERIMENT WAS PURELY FOR DEFENSIVE REASONS AND VIOLATED NO 

INTERNATIONAL TREATIES. (SIGNED)



NEB/NJS/GKT/PT







23-Oct-97 4:20 PM EDT (2020 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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