Russia, China urge US to keep weapons out of space

Washington DC Capitol dome detail with waving US flag. Credit: Andrea Izzotti / shutterstock.com

Russia called on Tuesday for weapons to be kept out of space, after the United States Space Force confirmed it had deployed “on-orbit space control weapons” for the first time.

“We believe that space must be free of any weapon,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“We are counting on broad international consolidation to continue working towards the complete demilitarisation of space,” he added.

Russia’s ally China also on Tuesday slammed Washington’s move, and urged the US to “stop preparing for war in outer space.”

The US confirmed on Monday it had weapons deployed for the first time, with Air Force Secretary Troy Meink saying they are capable of defending American forces against hostile action, Washington Times reports.

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“The US has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.

“Space control encapsulates the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain — employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities,” the statement said, adding that “these capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes,” a US Space Force spokesperson said in a statement that did not provide specifics on the weapons.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty — to which the US, Russia and China are all parties– bans the deployment of nuclear weapons in space, but is not a blanket ban on military activity.

AFP

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