SATELLITE AS WEAPON

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28450, 3 December 1957, Page 15

SATELLITE AS WEAPON

Possible Soviet Development (Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON. December 1. A United States Army missile expert said today there was no reason why the Russians could not design an earth satellite to drop from the skies without warning and blast a target with a hydrogen warhead. He indicated that the United States, might be doing some work along those lines. The expert, Brigadier-General A. W. Betts, said the United States had not developed the techniques for aiming a satellite at a precise target area. But he added in a television interview: “I have no doubt it could be the next kind of a weapons system which could be in being.” General Betts is the Defence Department’s military executive assistant for guided missiles. Asked to explain a reference Io future weapons that could be ‘more sophisticated” than the intercontinental ballistic missile. General Betts spoke of the hydro-gen-armed satellite. Referring to the Soviet Union, he said: “We know that they can. put up a satellite. We know that this satellite can have ultimately the weight-carrying ability of the nose-cone of an ICBM.

“There is no reason why they cannot place a satellite in orbit which has a warhead in it and constantly circles the earth until they decide to send it a signal which would tell it to come in on target.” General Betts said such a device “would be a very effective system.” The United States would never know whether a Soviet satellite was gathering scientific data, spying on the earth, or waiting to strike a nuclear blow.

Italian Ship Abandoned.— The 365-ton Italian wooden motor vessel Pietro Canonica was abandoned sinking late last night in high seas 60 miles west of the Gulf of Salerno. Eight survivors from a crew of nine were picked up by the Italian tanker Right, which rushed to the area after Pietro Cononica had sent out distress signals.—Naples, December 1.