"We call on Washington to abandon adventures": how Russia intends to fight the US plans to deploy missile defense in space

The Pentagon-published report, A Review of US Missile Defense Policy, implies the use of outer space for military purposes. This was stated in the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“We noticed that in the new Review of the US policy in the field of antimissile defense, published on January 17, a serious emphasis was placed on the formation of a space-based missile defense group, including means of intercepting missiles. Placing such assets in space is supposedly intended to increase the effectiveness of the destruction of various types of missiles at the accelerating stage of flight over the enemy’s territory, ”the ministry said.

The ministry is "deeply disappointed" due to the fact that the United States intends to return to the implementation of "the next version of the Star Wars program of the times of Ronald Reagan's presidency." Diplomats stressed that such actions would strike at the security system of space activities.

“The possible implementation of the US military space plans will hit the current system for ensuring the safety of space activities resulting from the development of international space law. All previous attempts by Washington to secure superiority in the military sphere invariably ended with an increase in tensions and with the next turns of the arms race, ”the Foreign Ministry noted.

The department urged Washington to "show prudence and abandon such immoral adventures." The Foreign Ministry stressed that Russia intends to promote initiatives to prevent an arms race in space.

“In particular, we intend to continue work in this direction within the framework of the UN General Assembly 72/250 (on further measures to prevent an arms race in outer space - RT ) established by the group of governmental experts on further measures for PICC, the final session of which will be held in Geneva 18 March 19, ”says the commentary.

At the moment, according to the Treaty on Space, which was ratified by Russia, the United States and about 100 more states, it is prohibited to place only nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction outside the Earth. The ban on conventional weapons extends to the moon and celestial bodies, but does not concern the orbit.

“This logic was at the heart of the arms race”

Recall, January 17, US President Donald Trump presented at the Pentagon the first in nine years report of the Defense Ministry on the missile defense development program.

“There are a lot of unscrupulous players in the world, and we are good players. But we can become worse than any of them, if necessary, ”he said.

The document states that the Pentagon intends to increase the number of ground-based missile interceptors by 50%. The Defense Ministry believes that increasing the number of these complexes from 44 to 64 will protect the United States from potential threats from the DPRK and, “if any,” of Iran’s intercontinental missiles.

Priority is given precisely to space-based systems capable of tracking missiles at the acceleration stage. For this purpose, it is planned to use energy weapons on UAVs, air-to-air missiles on combat aircraft, in particular, F-35 Lightning.

Commenting on the document, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted the continuation of the line begun by the Trump administration in national security strategy and the US nuclear doctrine.

“We consider it necessary to emphasize that the emergence of such documents as the“ Review of US policy in the field of anti-missile defense ”once again demonstrates the need to immediately resume a full-format Russian-American dialogue on the whole range of issues regarding arms control and strengthening international security and stability - noted in the department.

At the same time, the rhetoric of the US administration about launching preemptive strikes on missiles is aimed at trying to impart "goodness" of preventive strikes against other states, the Foreign Ministry added.

“We would like to remind you that it was precisely this logic that was originally the basis of a large-scale nuclear-missile arms race, which more than once brought the world to the brink of disaster. Despite tense political and diplomatic efforts over several decades, its consequences have still not been completely eliminated, ”the ministry said.

In this case, the Pentagon argue that the new strategy will not contribute to the arms race. For example, US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Political Affairs John Rood called on experts to pay attention to the word “defense” in the title of the document.

“I would like to draw your attention to the word“ defense ”in the name of the strategy. I think that the creation of systems that can knock down missiles launched in our direction is incorrectly called a provocative action. I do not think that this is the correct interpretation, ”he cites TASS.

“They don't have the means to do it.”

Despite the declared intention to deploy missile defense systems in space, the United States does not currently have the technology to implement this program, said military expert Ivan Konovalov. He is convinced that by making such a report, the Pentagon was trying to bluff.

“The principle of the existence of their missile defense system is the destruction of missiles in the upper stage. But this is impossible, they do not have the means for this. So, all they want to do is a big bluff. The states are trying to convince everyone that they have full-scale missile defense, ”he told RT.

At the same time, Washington realizes that if they bring their military facilities into space, they will be followed by Moscow and the Pentagon, the expert said. In this regard, they will not go on such a confrontation, says Konovalov.

“They are all frightened by the fact that they consider it possible to place some weapons in space. Americans understand perfectly well that they can ring as many weapons as they want, but this will be answered, ”the expert emphasized.

At the same time, the American energy weapon, which is referred to in the report, is not yet ready, said military expert, editor of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, Alexei Leonkov.

“Americans have a laser technology, on a cosmic scale, not serious enough. There was an air laser, there was a laser that shot from a ship at the drone. That is, they have plans, as it were, but for the near future they are, so to say, difficult to be realized, ”he said in an interview with RT.