The aerospace publication said that various speakers showed images of Iraq from the Fengyun metsats (FY, Fengyun means "Wind and Cloud") and the Ziyuan remote sensing satellites (ZY, Ziyuan means "resource") at the forum on satellite applications in the Iraq war. The forum was held on Apr. 7.

Examples of images included bomb craters at airfields and dense smoke over Baghdad from oil fires.

There are three Ziyuan earth-observing satellites in orbit: ZY-1A, which is also called the China-Brazil Earth Remote Sensing satellite-1 (CBERS-1), and ZY-2A and -2B that are in a completely separate series of EO sats.

The highest image resolution of ZY-1A is about 20 meters.

For both ZY-2 sats the highest image resolution is unknown, as such information has never been published. However, it is plausible that both ZY-2A and ZY-2B can see finer details based on their lower orbits than that of ZY-1A.

Many forum participants were leaders and specialists from General Armament Department of People's Liberation Army (PLA), General Staff Headquarters, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Academy of Military Science, 2nd Artillery Division of PLA Strategic Missile Force, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC).

Participants were all very interested in the displayed imagery. They discussed how to maximize the effectiveness of present civilian satellite resources. For instance, by integrating advantages in the top level design to allow effective involvement of civilian satellites in national defence.

Yang Jiachi, a member of CAS, said that although there had been much progress in the development of Chinese comsats, metsats, EO sats, and navigation satellites since the last Gulf War in 1991, the whole space-based infrastructure construction was "evidently inadequate and faced the problem of catching up".

Yang added that Chinese officials also learned from the incident of Sinosat satellite signal intrusion last year that China ought to increase protection of its satellites to face future high-tech warfare.

Fellow CAS member Chen Shupeng explained further that China would need to stress data analysis to comprehensively utilize space information.

Another CAS member Min Guirong believed that China should consider how to systematically exploit the advantages of each satellite application unit and properly use of satellite resources.

The imagery shown at the forum has demonstrated the usefulness and increasing role of remote sensing satellites in military reconnaissance.

Military specialist Zhao Shaokui said, "We need to consider in earnest how to adequately use our existing space resources to build up national defence, to consider the problem of utilizing space information comprehensively, then present leading offices appropriate proposals.

"In the next five to ten years, we would encounter the peak of the large scale development of satellites. How to undertake the work of satellite application becomes an urgent problem."

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