Russia’s Space Nuclear Weapon Plan Raises Concerns in US Intelligence

U.S. intelligence agencies have reportedly picked up on Russia’s plans to deploy a satellite-killing nuclear weapon, so-called space nukes, capable of destroying Western satellites in Earth’s orbit.

CNN recently reported, citing U.S. intelligence sources, that Russia is making efforts to develop a space-based nuclear weapon that can generate a massive energy wave to attack satellites.

The New York Times (NYT) even mentioned an episode of a space nuclear war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union from the popular 1960s American science fiction TV series “Star Trek.”

Despite Russia’s denial, the U.S. government has reportedly warned Russia not to deploy space-based nuclear weapons, causing the world to tense up over the immense power of nuclear EMPs.

Satellite Communication Network Paralysis Will Cause Severe Chaos in Daily Life

The space-based nuclear weapon that Russia is developing refers to a nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon that fires electromagnetic energy waves and electric particles to disable satellites in orbit. It is also called a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) weapon, a nuclear weapon that explodes thousands of kilometers above the Earth’s surface.

The fact that an electromagnetic pulse occurs during a nuclear explosion has been recognized since the early days of nuclear testing. It has also been confirmed that more electromagnetic pulses are emitted when a nuclear explosion occurs at a high altitude.

Suppose the EMP weapon, which Russia is known to be developing, is used. In that case, it can simultaneously generate a tremendous energy wave with a nuclear explosion, paralyzing the world’s commercial and public satellites. Most countries’ satellite communication networks could be temporarily paralyzed, and there is also a possibility of nuclear fallout. This would cause severe chaos in people’s daily lives around the world. Moreover, satellite-based missile tracking systems and GPS military operations could all be paralyzed simultaneously.

According to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), there were approximately 7,800 artificial satellites in Earth’s orbit as of last April.

In response to global controversy, Russian President Vladimir Putin categorically denied the allegations raised by Western countries about Russia’s space deployment of nuclear weapons, calling them “fake news.” According to TASS and other outlets, Putin said during a Russian Federal Security Council meeting on the 1st (local time), “We have no plans to deploy nuclear weapons in space.”

He stated, “We discussed the fake news that came out today by some Western country officials,” adding, “(The fake news is) that Russia is suspected of planning a space deployment of nuclear weapons, but they used the word suspected because we have no such plan.”

The global community is skeptical of Putin’s remarks. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) even reported on the 22nd that U.S. government officials had privately contacted Russia directly to warn against deploying space-based nuclear weapons.

The WSJ reported that the contact was made through a channel between Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor, and Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s diplomatic advisor.

Violation of the UN “Space Treaty” if Space Nuclear Weapons Are Deployed

The problem is Russia. Despite President Putin’s denial of allegations about the space deployment of nuclear weapons, he has warned that deeper involvement in the Ukrainian war by the Western world could risk a global nuclear conflict. In his state-of-the-nation address on February 29, he said, “Remember the fate of the countries that invaded Russia in the past,” and “We have weapons that can strike targets in Western territories, and the current actions of Western countries are a real threat to a nuclear confrontation.”

This way, pressure and containment between Russia and the U.S. are rampant. The international community is paying attention to the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia over space-based nuclear weapons for this reason.

If Russia deploys nuclear weapons in Earth’s orbit targeting satellites, it would be a direct violation of the Outer Space Treaty, signed by the United Nations in 1967. The Space Treaty was signed to prevent the accidental outbreak of a nuclear war as the U.S. and Russia targeted each other by deploying nuclear weapons in space during the Cold War. Currently, 107 countries, including the U.S. and Russia, have joined.

However, this treaty is practically inoperative today. In the 1960s, when the Space Treaty was signed, the entire space development project was at the national level, and private companies had no room to step in. Now, as private companies lead space development projects, there are no regulations on the activities of private companies, and no national laws apply, making it possible for them to become lawless.

Russia is already using civilians, i.e., mercenary companies, in the Ukrainian war and interventions in civil wars in various African countries. If they allow private space companies to arm and attack enemy countries, there is a high possibility that they can bypass the loopholes in the Space Treaty.

Concerns about space-based nuclear weapons have existed since the 1960s, half a century ago. During the Cold War, as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that strike targets through space were developed and competition for space exploration between the U.S. and the Soviet Union intensified, discussions about deploying space nuclear weapons began.

At the time, the U.S. tested space-based nuclear weapons but reportedly did not commercialize them. As concerns grew about the possibility of space being used for military purposes, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in 1963 prohibiting the introduction of weapons of mass destruction into space. Four years later, in 1967, the U.S., the U.K., and the Soviet Union officially signed a treaty prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons in space.

How powerful would a nuclear EMP weapon be? Would it be like something out of a science fiction movie?

EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) refers to a vibration that occurs quickly by an electromagnetic field, i.e., an electromagnetic pulse. It can occur naturally (e.g., solar flare explosions) but can also be artificially generated. In this case, it is understood to be capable of causing significant damage to or interfering with communications and electronic products.

If you use this principle to develop a high-energy EMP weapon and attack, you could potentially devastate the entire national communication network of the opposing country. The most powerful existing weapon, nuclear, can easily generate such high energy.

Therefore, we usually mean nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NEMP) weapons when we talk about EMP weapons. It is also called a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) weapon, meaning a nuclear weapon that explodes hundreds to thousands of kilometers above the Earth’s surface.

EMP weapons are a common theme in science fiction. In the movie “The Matrix,” humans use EMP weapons against the robot army controlled by artificial intelligence. Nuclear EMP also appears in “Blade Runner 2049.” A massive blackout occurs as the electricity and communication infrastructure are destroyed by a powerful EMP from a nuclear explosion suspected to be the work of Replicants, resulting in worldwide chaos and darkness.

Nuclear EMP: A Potential Strategic Game Changer

The reason the U.S. has even warned Russia is that they already know it’s a dangerous weapon system that’s theoretically possible but highly probable in reality.

For example, if even one high-powered nuclear EMP bomb were to explode in space, it could destroy or malfunction about a third of all satellites in a chain reaction. There would also be a major disruption to terrestrial communication systems. With most commercial satellites gathered in low orbits below 2,000 kilometers, there is a high chance of global fallout after a nuclear explosion, potentially causing massive casualties.

Some are concerned that if space-based nuclear weapons are used, a completely different dimension of war will break out. This is because there is no means to predict or neutralize a space-based nuclear weapon attack in advance.

The NYT emphasized, “If space-based nuclear weapons are deployed, they can incapacitate the civilian communications, military command, and control operations of the U.S. and its allies,” and “Currently, the U.S. cannot counter these weapons and protect satellites.” This is why space-based nuclear weapons are called a “potential strategic game changer.”