by India Today World Desk: The United States confirmed that it was prepared for a conflict in outer space after anti-satellite technologies developed by the US military to counter threats posed by “provocateur” countries, namely Russia and China. A senior US military official told Guardian That the US will readily take to orbital skirmishes to counter Russian aggression and China’s vision to dominate space power by the middle of the century.
A US military official was quoted as saying, “The United States is ready to fight in space tonight.”
From weather forecasting to vital military intelligence and banking systems, satellites are prevalent over a large part of today’s world. It shelters the nation’s intelligence cache, communications, and navigates multiple regions. Therefore, the excessive reliance on satellites means that an attack on a country’s space assets could have serious consequences.
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On Thursday, Brigadier General Jesse Morehouse at the US embassy in London said the United States was left with “no choice” but to prepare for an outer space conflict.
Morehouse said, “If anyone threatens the United States or any of our interests, including those of our allies and partners with whom we have treaties of mutual defense support, we stand ready to fight tonight.”
It is pertinent to note that four countries, namely India, Russia, China and the US have tested anti-satellite capabilities by destroying their own satellites from home turf. However, the move was condemned by the US for creating a debris cloud and posing a risk to other satellites for decades.
After Moscow shot down one of its own satellites in 2021, the explosion left more than 1,500 fragments in orbit.
Morehouse said, “When you create that debris cloud and it remains in orbit for decades, it’s almost like detonating a nuclear weapon in your own backyard. You pay the price, too.”
Morehouse further stated that the US is developing anti-satellite technologies “not because we want to fight tonight, but because it is the best way to prevent conflict from happening”. He also said that the US would continue to work towards its classroom combat prowess “without engaging in irresponsible tests”.
“Can you develop a capability that can be used to counter those satellites that work very well and confirm that every time you do this it is a piece of debris in orbit?” Works without creating a cloud? Absolutely,” Morehouse was quoted as saying.
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