Russia is trying to develop nuclear space weapons to destroy satellites – CNN

Russia wants to destroy satellites in space using nuclear weapons/Collage 24 Channel

Russia is seeking to produce nuclear weapons that could operate in space. This weapon would create a huge energy wave upon detonation, destroying a huge portion of commercial and government satellites.

CNN reporters noted that this is a nuclear weapon still in development and not yet in orbit. However, the launch of such weapons will become a new historical rubicon in the history of world security.

What are the possible characteristics of the future new weapons of Russia

The authors of the material noted that this new weapon will create a pulse of electromagnetic energy and a stream of highly charged particles that will tear through space to disrupt the work of satellites orbiting the Earth.

US Department of Defense and intelligence agencies have for years tracked Russia's attempts to develop a wide range of anti-satellite weapons, including “nuclear electromagnetic pulse,” or EMP, as the military calls the weapon.

According to one of the officials Defense Department, a spate of intelligence reports have emerged in recent months that specifically focus on Russia's efforts to develop nuclear anti-satellite capabilities.

But Russia has recently made progress in its efforts to develop a “nuclear electromagnetic pulse.” According to US President Joe Biden, the intelligence community has identified “the ability to launch a system into space that could theoretically cause harm,” but this has not yet happened.

This is not a new concept and goes back to the late Cold War, said one US official.

However, according to journalists, there is great fear of any possible The design of a nuclear EMP device in orbit is that it can create a “minefield” of disabled satellites, which will prove dangerous to any new satellites.

The authors of the material emphasized that it was not immediately clear whether the Russian device could affect GPS and nuclear command and control satellites, which operate in a higher orbit than commercial or government satellites. But a former senior Pentagon space official told CNN that command and control satellites could be vulnerable depending on how close they are to the EMP, how old they are and how big the explosion was.

Such nuclear weapons will be the last for Russia

At the same time, experts warned about the potential threat posed by nuclear electromagnetic pulse weapon. In particular, this weapon could destroy large constellations of small satellites, including SpaceX's Starlink.

Sources indicate that such a weapon would be a “last resort” for Russia , since it could also cause damage to Russian satellites located nearby in space.

However, the level of development of this technology remains unclear, as Russia has faced public failures in its nuclear weapons in recent years. technologies. So, in 2019, seven Russians died as a result of a nuclear accident that occurred when Moscow tried to take away a nuclear-powered cruise missile. She fell into the White Sea during a test failure.

A recent US intelligence assessment of Russia's progress in developing EMP weapons has caused concern among lawmakers, prompting a briefing to the entire House representatives of the US Congress.

The release of this sensitive intelligence has raised alarm within the intelligence community, which is working to maintain access to such information.

The Biden administration argues that Russia's deployment of EMP nuclear weapons would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits the use of weapons of mass destruction in space.