A senior Pentagon official has publicly acknowledged that the United States (US) believes Russia is gearing up to deploy a nuclear weapon in space, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

While testifying before the Republican-led House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, John Plumb, the assistant defence secretary for space policy, said China and Russia have effectively “militarised” space.

“Russia is developing a concerning anti-satellite capability related to a new satellite carrying a nuclear device that Russia is [also] developing”. Plumb expressed apprehension at America’s inability to “convince them (Russia and China) otherwise to ultimately fly a nuclear weapon in space.”

The ramifications of such a move, Plumb cautioned, would extend far beyond the confines of geopolitical rivalries. He outlined the risks posed to critical satellite infrastructure, essential for global communications, scientific exploration, weather monitoring, agricultural management, commercial operations, and national security endeavours.

Deploying a nuclear weapon in space could effectively render low-Earth orbit unusable, potentially disrupting vital services for an extended period.

In response to lawmakers’ questions, Plumb said it was “imminent in the way that we should have to worry about it right now”.

Plumb’s testimony comes after Russia last week vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling on all nations to prevent a dangerous nuclear arms race in outer space.

“Today’s veto begs the question: Why? Why if you are following the rules would you not support a resolution that reaffirms them? What could you possibly be hiding?” US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council after the vote.

The resolution aimed to urge all states to reaffirm their commitment to comply with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and called on them to actively contribute to the goal of peaceful use and the prevention of an extraterrestrial arms race.

Meanwhile, Russia’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia dismissed US allegations, accusing Washington of attempting to discredit Moscow’s reputation. Nebenzia announced Russia’s intention to engage with council members to propose its resolution aimed at promoting peaceful space exploration.

In a statement issued by the White House on April 24, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated, “If Russian President Vladimir Putin truly had no intentions of deploying nuclear weapons in space, Moscow would not have vetoed this resolution.”

Plumb referred to the 1960s, when the Soviet Union and the US each conducted a high-altitude nuclear test, as a “different time” when testing was done to “learn things”. He added, “The tests damaged all satellites and rendered those orbits unusable for a time.”

Plumb clarified that the Outer Space Treaty does not prohibit weapons in space, but refers to weapons of mass destruction, and asserted that Russia and China have “militarised” space.

“We can say that Russia is deploying and developing prototype kinetic weapons in space,” he said.

First Published: May 02 2024 | 12:50 PM IST