Russia is secretly developing a new kind of satellite-killing space weapon, according to US intelligence watchdogs in Washington.
The Biden administration is gathering highly sensitive information about the new capability, which is not yet operational but could potentially be a game changer in the war in Ukraine.
Russia has denied the claims but the chair of a powerful congressional intelligence committee on Capitol Hill in Washington has issued an urgent warning about Russia’s alleged ambitions.
Space is the new frontier in military technology and never more so than during the Ukraine war. Ukraine has pioneered the use of satellites and AI to spearhead its attacks on Russia, and now Russia may be striking back.
The claims are murky and lack detail, as is often the way with intelligence reports, but it’s thought the US fears Russia is working on a weapon that could knock out many satellites at once.
Ukraine has made very effective use of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network. Data gathered in space is augmented with AI to produce lists of targets for Ukrainians to strike. Satellites can also be used to help forces communicate on the ground and guide ever more lethal killer drones.
Unlike previous satellites used for military purposes, the Starlink network comprises thousands of satellites. To be effective, Russia’s new weapon would need to be able to knock them out en masse.
A nuclear device detonated in space could create an electromagnetic pulse frying the circuitry of satellites. But it’s not clear whether the alleged new weapons will be nuclear.
Other possibilities include laser technology or other forms of electromagnetic interference.
The use of space in this war will lead inevitably to escalation beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. Inventions and weapons on one side require countering by the other.
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Putin on a visit to a space station near Moscow in October last year. Pic: Reuters
Russia, at first, was able to jam signals from Starlink and then Western engineers were able to neutralise that technology. Now it seems Russia is resorting to more aggressive solutions.
Warfare in space would have massive downsides. It could render vast areas unusable if satellites are turned into clouds of space debris. International treaties aim to mitigate that risk but the Ukraine war has highlighted the strategic advantages of operating there.
The space arms race is on, despite the enormous risks.
