Russia is developing a ‘troubling’ new anti-satellite weapon, US says

The US said Russia was developing a “troubling” new anti-satellite weapon, but stressed that Russia had not yet deployed it.

White House Press Secretary John Kirby made the comments a day after House Republican leaders issued a vague warning of a “grave national security threat.”

The weapon is deployed in space and contains a nuclear weapon capable of targeting satellites, the BBC’s US partner CBS News reported.

But Mr. Kirby did not confirm this, and on Thursday declined to provide exact details about the threat.

The Kremlin has accused the United States of using Russia’s claims of new weapons as a ploy to get Congress to pass additional aid to Ukraine through “tricks and tricks.”

Kirby, who recently became a top aide to President Joe Biden, told reporters there was no immediate threat to the American people.

“We are not talking about weapons that can be used to attack humans or cause physical destruction here on Earth,” he said.

Kirby said President Biden was briefed on the information and that his administration is taking the development of the weapon “very seriously.” He added that the president has already ordered “direct diplomatic engagement with Russia” regarding this threat.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner issued a cryptic warning Wednesday about a serious national security threat, sparking a series of rumors circulating around the nation’s capital.

On Thursday, Turner and other members of the committee met with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to further discuss the issue.

“We all had a very strong impression that the administration was taking this very seriously and had a plan in place,” Turner said after the meeting. “We look forward to supporting them in doing that.”

Space weapons may sound like something ripped from the pages of a science fiction novel or movie like Superman II or James Bond’s GoldenEye, but military experts believe that space is becoming more and more important in a world that is increasingly reliant on technology. We have long warned that it is likely to become the next frontier of war.

Beyond Kirby’s comments, U.S. government officials have not yet released specific details about the threat.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Wednesday that the U.S. needs to prioritize the “sources and methods” used by security agencies to gather information about threats, and silenced them. suggested that it was intentional.

The New York Times, ABC, and CBS reported that the threat is related to Russia developing nuclear weapons capable of attacking U.S. satellites in space.

Kirby told reporters there was no evidence that weapons had been deployed, but stressed that the United States takes the threat “very seriously.”

U.S. officials and aerospace experts have long warned that Russia and China are steadily developing military capabilities in space in hopes of catching up with the United States.

A report released last year by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said Russia has developed a variety of anti-satellite weapons (ASATs), including a missile it successfully tested against a Soviet-era satellite in November 2021. suggested that he was doing so. .

One of the report’s authors, Kari Bingen, a former top intelligence official at the Pentagon, told the BBC that Russia had already used a variety of other methods to disrupt satellite communications during the Ukraine war, including cyberattacks and radio jamming. He said he is using it.

“It’s already part of their combat doctrine,” she says.

Senior lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, say there is no need to alarm the public.

Mike Turner also received some criticism for issuing the threat, with fellow Republican Andy Ogles accusing him of a “reckless disregard” for the “well-being and spirit of the American people.” .

But experts and former officials warn that any threat to U.S. satellites could have far-reaching implications.

The U.S. military relies more on satellite communications than any other potential global adversary for everything from surveillance and missile launch detection to navigation at sea and air, to GPS-guided bombs and battlefield communications. are doing.

“Our military, the way we fight today, and the investments we make in the weapons we produce all depend on space capabilities,” added Ms. Bingen, the Pentagon’s second-highest intelligence official. . “Without that, we would be in a pretty tough situation. We wouldn’t be able to fight the way we’ve learned over the last 30, 40 years.”

Dependence on satellites is also evident in the civilian world, where satellites are used for a wide range of everyday functions, from GPS-enabled ride-hailing and food delivery to weather forecasting, precision agriculture, and satellite-based time-dependent financial transactions. used. signal.

“Satellites are essential to our daily life,” Bingen added. “Americans, and people all over the world, depend on space, but they don’t really know about space.”

The United States, Russia, and China already have the ability to attack satellites around the world. However, in theory, nuclear weapons cannot be used there.

All three countries are signatories to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits each country from sending into orbit “any object carrying nuclear weapons or other types of weapons of mass destruction.”

Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense, said the treaty does not guarantee security in the current geopolitical climate.

“Russia is ready to use military force in Ukraine in complete disregard of the signed treaties and in violation of all international laws and norms,” ​​he said. “They don’t keep their promises, they don’t keep their treaty obligations.”

Matthew Kroenig, a member of the US Congressional Committee on Strategic Posture and a former defense and intelligence official in the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations, told the BBC that space is an increasingly important focus for the military. He said that it is natural for this to happen. In the world.

“So far, humans have kind of explored space,” he says. “But we are now entering a phase where we are seeing the commercialization of space, and we are only at the beginning.”

The next stage will see countries around the world focus on “securing” space, he added.

“We kind of take for granted that our seas and skies are free and open to commercial activity,” Kroenig said. “Ideally, that would be 30 years from now in outer space, where he could be traveling, doing business, and maybe even living in space.”

“You need to make sure it’s a safe and secure domain.”