A U.S. intelligence report suggests that Russia is more likely developing a nuclear-powered device to disrupt satellite electronics rather than a nuclear warhead to shoot them down.
What Happened: This intelligence came to the fore after Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), chair of the U.S. House of Representatives intelligence committee, issued a statement warning of a “serious national security threat.”
A source revealed to Reuters that the U.S. had fresh intelligence about Russia’s nuclear capabilities and their attempts to develop a space-based weapon. However, it was made clear that these new Russian capabilities do not pose an urgent threat to the United States.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated this view, stating “this is not an active capability.” Some analysts tracking Russia’s space programs believe that the space threat is not a nuclear warhead, but a high-powered device that uses nuclear energy to carry out a variety of attacks against satellites.
Potential attacks could include signal-jammers, weapons that can impair image sensors, or, more concerningly, electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) that could disrupt all satellite electronics within a certain orbital region.
According to Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association advocacy group, Russia is more likely to be developing a system powered by a nuclear source with electronic warfare capabilities once in orbit.
Despite these developments, the Kremlin has dismissed the US warning about Moscow’s new nuclear capabilities in space as a “malicious fabrication”.
Anti-satellite weapons that are non-nuclear have existed for years. In 2021, Russia followed the United States, China, and India in testing an anti-satellite missile on one of its old satellites.
However, detonating a nuclear weapon in space would have significant implications for both military and commercial satellites. It would also be a “blatant violation of the Outer Space Treaty,” according to James Acton, a nuclear expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank.
Why It Matters: In the past, Russia has been reported to have received shipments of nuclear weapons with capabilities surpassing those of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. More recently, Russia revoked the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, blaming the U.S.’s “irresponsible attitude to global security”.
The development of this space-based weapon comes at a time when public concern about traditional security threats from Russia and China is diminishing, with the focus shifting to non-traditional risks. This new development may cause a shift in this perspective.
While non-nuclear anti-satellite weapons have existed for years, experts warn that detonating a nuclear weapon in space could have severe repercussions for both military and commercial satellites and would be a clear violation of the Outer Space Treaty.
Space Satellite Photo by Andrei Armiagov on Shutterstock
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