It is the first time that the United States has accused Moscow of testing such a weapon.
“The United States Space Command has evidence that Russia conducted a non-destructive test of a space-based anti-satellite weapon,” the command said in a statement, saying that on July 15, Russia “injected a new object into orbit. since Cosmos 2543, “a Russian satellite that has been in orbit since 2019.
The statement added that the new “object” was launched near another Russian satellite, an activity the command said was “inconsistent with the system’s declared mission as an inspection satellite.”
“Actions of this type threaten the peaceful use of space and risk causing debris that could pose a threat to the satellites and space systems on which the world depends. We call on Russia to avoid further testing,” said the deputy marshal. Air Harvey Smyth, the head of the UK Space Directorate said in a statement.
While the United States previously accused Moscow of testing anti-satellite weapons, this is the first time that it has publicly accused Russia of testing an “in-orbit” weapon, which is a space-based weapon.
“The Russian satellite system used to conduct this orbit weapons test is the same satellite system that we raised concerns about earlier this year, when Russia maneuvered near a United States government satellite,” General John W “Jay” Raymond, commander of the United States Space Command and the Chief of Space Operations for the United States Space Force said in a statement.
“This is further evidence of Russia’s continued efforts to develop and test space-based systems, and is consistent with the military doctrine published by the Kremlin to employ weapons that keep American and allied space assets at risk,” added.
The United States also accused Russia of conducting an anti-satellite missile test in April.
Russian and Chinese anti-satellite weapons were cited as one of the reasons the United States needed a space-focused military branch, prompting the creation of the Space Force that Raymond now leads.
Days before the new test for Russian space-based weapons, the State Department said it was planning to hold a “Space Security Exchange” meeting with Russian representatives later this month, saying Christopher Ford, the undersecretary of state. United States Currently In the performance of the duties of the Assistant Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, he had finalized the details of the meeting with the Russian ambassador.
Ford closed the gun test in a statement Thursday, saying: “This event highlights Russia’s hypocritical defense of gun control in outer space, with which Moscow aims to restrict the capabilities of the United States without intending to stop their own counter-space program, both terrain based on anti-satellite capabilities and what appears to be actual anti-satellite weapons in orbit. “
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