A political scientist and a military expert explained why Washington needs a moratorium on PSO tests
The US authorities announced their refusal to test anti-satellite weapons. This was announced by American Vice President Kamala Harris at the Vandenberg Air Force Base. She added that Moscow and Beijing should do the same. "Newspaper.Ru" figured out what the meaning of Washington's initiative is.
"I am pleased to announce that from today the United States undertakes not to test anti-satellite weapons. Simply put, such tests are dangerous, and we will not carry them out," Harris said.
She stressed that the United States was the first country to commit not to carry out such tests. Harris called on other states to join the moratorium. She particularly stressed that Russia and Beijing should stop testing.
Moscow reacted skeptically to the moratorium announced by the United States.
"Does the current moratorium mean that the relevant development of anti-satellite systems is completely stopped and that the United States refuses to develop them as a whole? I would like to understand. The United States has conducted similar tests in the past, it is quite possible that they simply do not need additional tests," said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
A similar position is held by retired Major General of the Air Force, former head of the Federal Directorate of Aerospace Search and Rescue under the Ministry of Defense of Russia Vladimir Popov.
"The United States, for example, recently conducted the sixth launch of the Boeing X-37 orbital drone, also known as the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV). This project was transferred from the jurisdiction of NASA to the Agency for Advanced Defense Research and Development of the US Department of Defense - DARPA. Its official purpose is not disclosed. It may very well be that this is, among other things, an anti-satellite weapon," he told the newspaper.Ru" Popov.
At the same time, Washington, the general recalled, has repeatedly accused Russia of testing anti-satellite weapons. Popov recalled that most often in this case it was about the echeloned territorial missile defense system A-235 "Nudol".
On November 15, 2021, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced the successful test of an anti-satellite weapon, as a result of which the non-functioning Kosmos-1408 spacecraft was destroyed. It was not reported what exactly it was destroyed by. At the same time, NASA said that it was "Nudol".
"This system was developed back in the late 1970s. Then the work was stopped. In the 2000s, there were several official reports that the work continued. But without details. It is important to note here that "Nudol" is, first of all, a weapon against ballistic missiles, against hypersonic missiles. Thus, any claims that this is a special weapon against satellites have no basis," Popov believes.
Political scientist Valery Volkov recalled that in August 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, during his speech at the UN General Assembly, advocated the demilitarization of outer space.
"Russia then took the initiative to conclude an international agreement banning the deployment of weapons in space and in general on any weapons that would hit objects in space. But then Russia was not heard primarily in the United States. They refused to sign this agreement. Moreover. Earlier, back in 2014, Russia and China prepared a draft treaty on the prevention of the deployment of weapons in outer space. The United States then also refused to sign it," Volkov recalled.
He believes that in the light of previous refusals, the current memorandum looks "very strange". "It's as if the United States has really already tested the satellite fighter itself, and now they are trying to prohibit others from doing it," he concluded.
Victor Sokirko
