The Pentagon has launched several satellites to detect missiles from Russia and China that could be launched by US facilities in orbit. This happened a few hours after the United States reported that Russia was developing weapons to launch such strikes, The New York Times reports.
The launched satellites are hypersonic and ballistic missile tracking sensors. Within five years, the Pentagon intends to cover low Earth orbit with hundreds of such satellites. The Space Development Agency of the military department will spend almost $14 billion on this. The satellites will be produced mainly by major military suppliers, such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
The expectation is that even if US adversaries manage to disable some US satellites, the system will continue to operate, switching to other satellites in the orbital network.
A prototype of the Pentagon's two-satellite network was launched on 14 February using a Space X rocket. Testing of the system will continue over the coming years.
Previously, the US military had built satellites the size of a school bus, which took decades to buy and build and years to launch, said US Deputy Secretary of Defence Kathleen Hicks. Now, according to her, the Pentagon is moving to create a grouping of low-cost satellites that can be "launched almost every week".
The new space grouping will counter a "serious national security threat", as previously reported by the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Mike Turner.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed that Turner's announcement was "related to the anti-satellite capabilities that Russia is developing". He stressed that Russia has not yet deployed its technology.
Kirby also said that President Joe Biden has ordered talks with Russia on weapons in space.
The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed sporadic talks with the US on this topic. "Our message is clear and obvious: escalation is what is now at the centre of the US policy. It is very dangerous. This is the message we have been conveying to them and will continue to convey through all available channels," said Deputy Minister Serhiy Ryabkov.
Background. The day before, the White House confirmed that Russia is preparing to pose a threat in space, which is related to the anti-satellite capabilities that Russia is developing.