Russia plans to deploy nuclear devices in space to attack other countries’ satellites
Russia is going to deploy nuclear weapons in space. Washington has received new intelligence related to Russia’s nuclear capabilities and attempts to develop space-based weapons.
The weapon being developed by Russia is likely to be a nuclear device to blind, jam or burn electronics inside satellites, rather than an explosive nuclear warhead to destroy them, Reuters reports, citing US intelligence.
“New Russian capabilities do not pose an immediate threat to the United States. It is more likely that Russia is developing a nuclear-powered system with electronic warfare capabilities in orbit than that it is developing a nuclear-tipped weapon,” said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association’s advocacy group.
Analysts who follow Russia’s space programs note that the space threat is probably not related to a nuclear warhead, but to a powerful device that uses nuclear energy to attack satellites. It can be a signal blocking device, a means of blinding image sensors, or an electromagnetic pulse that can disable the electronics of satellites in a particular orbital region.
Russia is developing a range of weapons designed to target individual satellites, and is likely developing powerful systems that extend the threat to the structures of all satellites, according to a report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency.
In 2021, Russia, following the United States, China, and India, tested a destructive anti-satellite missile on one of its old satellites, tearing it into thousands of pieces that remained in Earth orbit. However, the explosion of a nuclear warhead in space would look quite different.
Brian Weeden, an analyst at the Secure World Foundation, said that Moscow would undermine its credibility if it detonated a nuclear weapon in space, which could have profound consequences for both military and commercial satellites.
“For 40 years at the UN, the Russians have been accusing America of wanting to arm space and place weapons there. They promised that they would never do this. If they detonate a nuclear device in space, they will lose everything. All the countries that support the Russians because of the invasion of Ukraine and bypassing sanctions will turn their backs on Moscow,” he said.
Anti-satellite weapons can disrupt military and commercial communications, undermine the ability of armed forces to operate, and disrupt global positioning systems (GPS) used by everyone from food delivery services to Uber drivers.
“The Russians think we’re blind if we don’t have access to our satellites. Our ability to rely on satellites is a great advantage in a potential confrontation, but also a great vulnerability,” a former U.S. intelligence official told Reuters.
U.S. President Joe Biden has instructed his administration to hold talks with the Russian Federation over a possible nuclear test in space.
The United States and allies take the threat from Russia seriously, White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby said at a briefing.
The day before, ABC News reported that Russia wants to deploy nuclear weapons in space, which is why House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner provided intelligence on a serious threat to U.S. national security.
