China has been in the news quite a bit lately especially with the recent reports of the Chinese Government stealing sensitive military defense designs. There have also been reports of cyber intrusions into top U.S. companies from China where intellectual property has been stolen.
President Obama will be meeting with China’s new president Xi Jinping next month and many topics will be on their agenda. The accusations against China and their online tactics will surely be high on the agenda.
The Chinese Defense ministry has already rebutted the U.S. pentagons claims that U.S. military secrets are systematically being stolen by the Chinese.
The Chinese ministry of Defense has also pointed out that China has been producing its own weapon systems without the need of stealing U.S. secrets.
China has also released a statement stating that the US remarks are a misjudgment. First it underestimates the Pentagon's security capabilities, and second it underestimates the Chinese people's wisdom and know-how.
In another statement directed at the U.S. from the Chinese Defense department - their statement reads in part - China is fully capable of safeguarding national security, requires the construction of weapons and equipment. Let's just say, most recently, China's aircraft carrier, new combat aircraft, transport aircraft and Beidou satellite navigation system and other equipment to fully illustrate this point.
The Soviets sold one on their Aircraft carriers ‘the Riga’ to China in 1988 and the Chinese launched it as the ‘Liaoning.’ The Chinese shipyards are currently working on their own Aircraft carrier designs.
The U.S. Pentagon, however, is accusing the Chinese Government as implementing stolen U.S. military technology into their current Navel defense.
The Chinese Government is investing heavily in its aerospace technology and its F-15 fighter Jets are becoming multi-roll aircrafts with stealth capabilities. The Chinese Navy is also testing their F-15s for aircraft landings.
China also has 16 satellites covering the Asia-Pacific region - ‘sat-nav system Beidou (BDS).’ The Chinese Government has mandated the use of its satellite navigation system by civilians and they plan to go global by 2020.
The United States Science Board released a statement stating in part that the United States cannot be confident that our critical Information Technology (IT) systems will work under attack from a sophisticated and well-resourced opponent utilizing cyber capabilities in combination with all of their military intelligence capabilities. They have sited thefts of classified data on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, F/A-18 fighter, and V-22 Osprey tilting-rotor aircraft, as well as Black Hawk attack helicopter design plans. Specifications for the Patriot missile system and Aegis and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile systems have also been compromised.
Technology is advancing in leaps and bounds and the U.S. defense department needs to find better ways in encrypting its sensitive data from cyber attracts. The threat is much greater than mere thefts from cyber thieves and the potential to cause havoc by these cyber intruders is now a reality.
Cyber warriors have the potential to disable electric grids which can cause blackouts of entire regions. Air traffic control systems can also be shut down by sophisticated and organized cyber-attacks.
The U.S. intelligence agencies need to deepen their knowledge and understanding about our adversaries' and develop better offensive software. We must also find better ways to safeguard our US nuclear forces so that they are less vulnerable. Perhaps setting up better Cyber training programs within the Department of Defense and to recruit and train the online security teams.
The more interdependent we are becoming on the world-wide-web the more venerable we are from advisories that want to do us harm. Our greatest defense when it comes to our National Security is greater offensive measures in offsetting whatever threats may come our way.
Always with love from Suzhou, China
Thomas F O’Neill
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Email: introspective7@hotmail.com
Other articles, short stories, and commentaries by Thomas F. O'Neill can be found on his award winning blog, Link:
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