US House Command mentioned the take a look at consisted of Russia’s satellite tv for pc referred to as Cosmos 2543. (Representational)
Washington:
The US accused Russia of test-firing an anti-satellite weapon in area, warning that the risk in opposition to Washington’s programs was “actual, severe and growing.”
US House Command mentioned it “has proof” that Moscow “carried out a non-destructive take a look at of a space-based anti-satellite weapon” on July 15.
“Final week’s take a look at is one other instance that the threats to US and Allied area programs are actual, severe and growing,” the Thursday assertion continued.
“Clearly that is unacceptable,” tweeted US nuclear disarmament negotiator Marshall Billingslea, including that it will be a “main subject” mentioned subsequent week in Vienna, the place he’s in talks on a successor to the New START treaty.
The treaty caps the nuclear warheads of the US and Russia — the 2 Chilly Struggle-era superpowers.
Commenting Friday on the accusations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned Russia helps “full demilitarisation of area and never basing any kind of weapons in area.”
The US House Command mentioned the take a look at consisted of Russia’s satellite tv for pc referred to as Cosmos 2543 injecting an object into orbit.
Russian state media has mentioned that Cosmos-2543 had been deployed by one other satellite tv for pc, Cosmos-2542, which was launched on 25 of November 2019 by the Russian navy.
The protection ministry mentioned the satellite tv for pc is supposed to “monitor the situation of Russian satellites,” however state every day Rossiyskaya Gazeta mentioned it has the flexibility to “get info from someone else’s satellites.”
The system is similar one which House Command raised considerations about earlier this yr, when it maneuvered close to a US authorities satellite tv for pc, mentioned Basic Jay Raymond, head of US House Command.
“That is additional proof of Russia’s persevering with efforts to develop and take a look at space-based programs, and in keeping with the Kremlin’s revealed navy doctrine to make use of weapons that maintain US and allied area property in danger,” Raymond mentioned in an announcement.
It’s the newest instance of Russian satellites behaving in a fashion “inconsistent with their said mission,” the House Command assertion added.
“This occasion highlights Russia’s hypocritical advocacy of outer area arms management,” mentioned Christopher Ford, a US assistant secretary of state for arms management.
The assertion additionally got here as China launched a rover to Mars on Thursday, a journey coinciding with the same US mission because the powers take their rivalry into deep area.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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