U.S., Britain say Russia tested space-based anti-satellite weapon

July 23 (UPI) -- The United States and Britain on Thursday said Russia conducted a non-destructive, space-based, anti-satellite weapons test earlier this month.


According to U.S. Space Command, on July 15 Russia "injected a new object into orbit from Cosmos 2543," a satellite that has been in orbit since 2019.


That move is "inconsistent with the system's stated mission as an inspector satellite," Space Command said.


"The Russian satellite system used to conduct this on-orbit weapons test is the same satellite system that we raised concerns about earlier this year, when Russia maneuvered near a U.S. government satellite," Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond, Commander of U.S. Space Command and U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations, said in a statement.


In February, Raymond said two Russian satellites appeared to be observing a U.S. satellite at close range, a situation he described as "unusual and disturbing."


"This is further evidence of Russia's continuing efforts to develop and test space-based systems, and consistent with the Kremlin's published military doctrine to employ weapons that hold U.S. and allied space assets at risk," Raymond said on Thursday.


The United States has not previously accused Russia of testing space-based anti-satellite weapons.

MORE U.S., Britain say Russia tested space-based anti-satellite weapon - UPI.com

No need for nukes anymore, the next major east-west conflagration could be conducted in space, with each side nobbling the others' satellites, and east having more and juicier targets. In such a scenario west is clearly more vulnerable, and if there is an overall 'winner' I give it to east.

But otoh being dependent on satellites the west would bend over backwards to avoid such a conflict, since the trauma of losing thousands of them would probably send us back to the stone age of last century.

So nukes it is!

I'm sure the seppos already have an anti-anti-satellite satellite.

Or something.